A man accused of shooting the mother of his child multiple times in Fairfax County last year, leaving her with life-changing injuries and a near inability to speak, was convicted Tuesday. Video evidence, including from the victim’s own cellphone, played a key role in the case.
A jury convicted Collins Agyei of malicious wounding and unlawful use of a firearm resulting in maiming. Jurors recommended the maximum possible sentence for the charges: 23 years.
Just days after a 25-year-old mother got a protective order against Agyei, he shot her multiple times at the Mallard Court Apartments in the Mount Vernon area, prosecutors said. She had just dropped their 7-year-old son at his bus stop.
“This devastating assault has permanently changed the trajectory of the victim’s life,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in a statement. “The defendant’s choice to lie in wait for the victim – and attack her as she returned from putting their child on the school bus – shows a rare level of maliciousness and danger to the wider community. I hope today’s outcome, and the fact that the defendant is going to be out of the community for over two decades, will provide some measure of comfort for the victim, her son, and their family.”
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Agyei and the victim, who asked News4 not to use her name, stepped toward her apartment and he started shooting, alarming surveillance footage shows. The victim ran and collapsed, and Agyei took off.
Police found the victim lying on a patio, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. As officers jumped into action to treat her injuries, they asked her what happened.
In police body camera video, she can be heard whispering as an officer asks, “Your son’s father shot you?”
She was able to whisper the name “Collins,” prosecutors said.
The victim’s own cellphone was recording during the attack, a detective said.
“Collins Agyei is seen wearing black latex gloves … and holding a firearm pointed at [the] victim. She can be heard saying the name ‘Collins’ multiple times in the video,” the detective said.
“The video records what sounds like a struggle. Victim drops her phone … six loud banging sounds, similar to a gun being fired, can be heard,” the documents say.
The victim’s older brother appeared virtually in the courtroom during a sentencing hearing. He told jurors about life-changing impacts of the crime that left his sister with severe stomach injuries, frequent hospitalizations, a tracheotomy tube and the need to use a walker.
“With the possibility of her dying, I felt empty,” the victim’s brother said. “I was hurt, extremely hurt. Since that day until now, I still go through that emotional pain.”
The victim’s brother told jurors he now lives with his sister so he can help care for her. He also must now financially support her and her young son.
The victim was hospitalized from February until May. A detective made a video when she was recently back in the hospital for more surgery to show how difficult it still is for her to speak.
“Is that your humidifier for your trach?” the detective asks on video.
“To keep it moist so I can breathe in,” the victim manages to say.
The defense argued prosecutors’ case had missing information and evidence, including testimony from the victim. In prior hearings, prosecutors said the victim’s severe injuries make it nearly impossible for her to speak.
The defense argued when the victim managed to whisper “Collins,” she was not naming her attacker but making sure police knew the name of her child’s father in case she died.
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Due to a mistake by prosecutors early in the trial, a more serious charge – aggravated malicious wounding — was dropped by the judge. It could have carried up to a life term.
Agyei is set to be sentenced in April. The court will decide a final sentence that’s up to but not more than the jury’s recommendation.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
