Woman To Testify Against Cousin in Dentist Murder Trial

UPDATE (11:29 p.m.)—A Baltimore woman who admitted earlier this year to arranging the 2006 murder of her boss will testify against her cousin, who is on trial this week for the same murder, according to WBAL.com.

Shontay Joyner Hickman, 36, and received a life sentence. After witness testimony on Tuesday took longer than expected, Hickman is scheduled to take the stand on Wednesday morning, according to Anne Arundel County State's Attorney spokeswoman Kristin Fleckenstein.

In opening statements, prosecutors said Hickman will testify that she hired her cousin, 25-year-old Dante A. Jeter, and two other unnamed men to kill dentist Albert Ro to cover up the fact that she was embezzling funds from the business, WBAL reported.

Hickman's life sentence could be reduced to 40 years in prison in exchange for her testimony, according to WBAL.

The trial began Monday with opening statements. In September 2011, with all but 60 years suspended after being found guilty in the 2008 first-degree murder of 25-year-old Tyrone Freeman over a $150 drug debt.