John Jefferson
Tatianna J. Burns (Caddo Parish DA’s Office)
A 42-year-old foster mom in Louisiana will spend the rest of her days behind bars for killing an 18-month-old child in her care, shaking the victim to death for nearly an hour four years ago. Tatianna J. Burns on Friday was convicted on one count of second-degree murder in the brutal slaying of young Angel Wong, authorities announced.
As jurors were being chosen on Monday, Burns elected to exercise her right to a bench trial before District Court Judge Donald E. Hathaway, Jr., according to a news release from the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office. The trial began in earnest on Wednesday, with prosecutors and Burns’ attorney presenting their cases before Judge Hathaway deliberated and found her guilty of murder.
Prosecutors also said that another child had previously been removed from Burns’ care because Burns had “tortured the child.”
During the bench trial, prosecutors called 11 witnesses to prove that Burns shook Angel to death on June 5, 2020.
“Evidence at trial established that Burns was caring for a toddler with whom she shared no familial relationship, and that Burns had previously cared for another unrelated child in 2013, and who was removed from her home following an investigation that determined she had tortured the child,” the release states. “The state called four medical doctors who agreed that bleeding and swelling and brain bleeds to (Angel) resulted from acute abusive head trauma.”
Authorities said they were also able to establish that Burns was the only person with access to Angel when she suffered her fatal injuries.
The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate reported that Burns brought the victim to the hospital and admitted to shaking her in an interview with Shreveport Police detectives.
“Burns stated that she then began to forcibly shake (Angel) for about 45 minutes to an hour trying to get her to wake up,” police wrote in an affidavit obtained by the newspaper. “Burns demonstrated how she shook (Angel) by doing hand motions that indicated that she was upside-down, sideways, vertical and back-and-forth. Burns even admitted to holding (Angel) upside down by her legs while shaking her. Burns also demonstrated that she held the face and behind the head of (Angel) while shaking her back and forth.”
Burns reportedly also admitted that while driving to the hospital, she stopped at red lights and continued to shake Angel.
Prosecutors pulled no punches in depicting Burns as a “monster” during the short trial.
“The state will prove beyond a reasonable doubt, dare I say beyond all doubt, that that child never had a chance,” Assistant District Attorney Christopher Bowman said in his opening statement, per the Advocate. “The evidence will show that she was placed in the hands of a monster.”
Prosecutors reportedly said that the severity of Angel’s injuries was grotesque.
“What the doctors found would make King Solomon wince,” Bowman reportedly said. “Her poor, little skull was literally, literally your honor, bursting at the seams.”
Under Louisiana state law, Burns will be ordered to serve a mandatory sentence of life without parole when she appears in court again on July 23.
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