Man Convicted of Killing Mother’s Fiance in Kansas City Area

A Missouri man has been convicted of killing his mother’s fiance after blaming him for burglarizing his home.

Jurors found 28-year-old William Miller-Kirkland, of Independence, guilty Thursday of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the December 2017 shooting death of Teddis Burns-El. His sentencing is set for Oct. 25.

Court records say Miller-Kirkland’s mother told police that she was sleeping in her Independence apartment with her fiance when they were awoken by banging and screaming. She says her son was drunk and believed that her fiance was either involved in the burglary or was covering for a cousin. She says her son shot her fiance once in the arm and several more times after he fell.

Police then arrested Miller-Kirkland after he briefly fled in a sport utility vehicle.