An Ann Arbor man who strangled his girlfriend after she tried to kick him out of her house pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Wednesday.
Kwame Burrell, 31, made a brief afternoon appearance in Washtenaw County Circuit Court to enter the plea agreement with prosecutors. Open murder charges will be dismissed at sentencing Dec. 2, court officials said.
He also entered into a sentencing agreement with Judge Archie Brown, but further details weren't disclosed in court records.
Burrell was accused of strangling Kisha French, 30, near the doorway of her home in the 100 block of Allen Street on Jan. 27. Her body was discovered after she didn’t pick up her daughter from elementary school.
Police quickly developed Burrell as the prime suspect and arrested him two days later, hiding in the home of a relative’s girlfriend in Ypsilanti Township.
Burrell initially told investigators he assaulted French during an argument, but denied killing her. They later learned Burrell had been living with French for several weeks and she tried to kick him out before she was killed.
During a preliminary hearing in May, Burrell’s brother testified that Burrell confessed to him that he killed French.
Lakeia French, Kisha’s cousin, said she and other family members in attendance Wednesday didn't expect a plea deal to be reached and felt vindicated upon hearing Burrell's public admission. She said Burrell whispered twice that he strangled French until prosecutors demanded he speak up. “It was such a relief for us because we were pretty sure it was always him, but because we weren’t there it was important to hear it in his words,” she said. “We’re glad his conscience allowed him to admit it.” Lakeia French said Kisha’s daughter Jayla, now 7, is living with Kisha’s mother and adjusting well with supportive family, teachers and counselors. “Kisha has a large family and we’re all trying to squeeze in these large shoes she left behind for Jayla, but it’s just so hard because of the kind of mother she was.”French is among 16 women who have been killed by their intimate partners in Washtenaw County since 1998, according to officials with SafeHouse, which provides services to local victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Prison records show Burrell served five years of a maximum 14-year sentence on fraud convictions in before his release in 2007.
Glenn Cotton, Burrell’s attorney, did not return calls Wednesday.
Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
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