Bunner Pleads Guilty to 2 Felony Murders

UPDATE (12:30 p.m.)—Vincent Ethan Bunner pleaded guilty to a pair of felony murders Thursday in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court.

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The 18-year-old, of the 100 block of Dunlap Road in Pasadena, was charged in two separate killings that took place in Glen Burnie less than two years ago.

Bunner was one of four suspects charged in connection with Misael Flores' November 2010 murder at Mr. Wings & Pizza. Flores was fatally shot the day before his 21st birthday.

Three other suspects are expected to stand trial in that shooting later this year.

, 48, of Glen Burnie, was fatally shot while working at 7-Eleven. Bunner and Shawn Johnson, 19, of Glen Burnie, were arrested on charges related to that killing. Police are still searching for a third suspect.

Bunner's trial in connection with the pizzeria shooting .

Prosecution and defense attorneys were made aware of a new witness two days ago when they were told a deputy planned to testify during the trial.

According to public defender William Davis, the deputy would have testified about a comment Bunner made in the courthouse during preliminary hearings last year.

“He said [Bunner told him] ‘I didn’t murder him, he was already dead when I shot him. That’s my defense,’” Davis said.

Assistant State’s Attorney Kathy Evans said that Willie Antonio McLean, 20, of Glen Burnie—who also is charged in Flores’ killing—was going to testify that Bunner not only shot the victim, but bragged about it to mutual friends after the incident.

According to the plea agreement, Bunner will serve two concurrent life sentences with the possibility for parole for felony murder, which means he was present when a murder occurred during the course of a felony. Armed robbery is a felony offense.

It does not mean he was the one who pulled the trigger, Davis said.

Bunner also pleaded guilty to using a handgun during the course of a felony, which carries up to 20 years in prison, and the first five years must be served. The defense plans to argue the sentence for the gun be served concurrently with the two life sentences, while the prosecution will argue that Bunner serve the time consecutively.

A hearing has been set for 9 a.m. April 16 to finalize sentencing.

Flores’ mother and sister sat in the front row as the details of the plea agreement were read. They declined to speak with the media.

Bunner, who remained shackled at the ankles, only answered yes or no throughout the proceedings.

A woman who identified herself as Bunner’s sister and said she grew up with him cried as the details of the plea agreement were read. His father was not in attendance. 

Over the course of two weeks in November 2010, , Johnson, McLean and Charles Sequan Butler, 18, of Brooklyn Park with the first-degree murder of Flores.

Trials for Johnson and Butler are scheduled to begin in May. McLean is scheduled to stand trial in October after he is expected to testify against Johnson and Butler, according to a plea agreement with the state. Johnson’s trial in the murder of Attia is scheduled to begin in September.

Bunner was scheduled to stand trial for Attia's murder in June.

According to police, four teens entered Mr. Wings & Pizza shortly before 9 p.m. the night of Flores' death and announced a robbery. Police said Flores was standing near a female store employee when the suspects entered. Both Flores and the employee told the teens to leave the store at which point one of them shot Flores and fled.