Burnham will stand trial in Cumberland, Howard County homicides

Oct. 11—CUMBERLAND — The North End man accused of killing his mother's friend and his half-brother and his wife last year just hours later at their Ellicott City home will face court proceedings for the homicides after being found competent to stand trial last week in Allegany and Howard counties.

Jeffrey Allen Burnham, 47, was found not competent by judges earlier this year in both counties due to a mental disorder. However, hearings held last week in both jurisdictions led to new rulings that Burnham is now competent to stand trial, according to electronic Maryland court records.

The Oct. 4 ruling in Allegany County Circuit Court of competency to stand trial comes nearly a year after the Cumberland man was indicted by an Allegany County grand jury for the South End killing of 83-year-old Rebecca Reynolds.

Burnham, 47, was charged with first-degree murder and one count of motor vehicle theft in connection with the Sept. 29, 2021, killing of Reynolds, who was a friend of Burnham's mother.

Reynolds' shooting death at her Fourth Street residence was ruled a homicide.

Burnham is also now awaiting trial in Howard County on charges of first-degree murder in the killing of his 58-year-old half-brother Brian Robinette and his wife, Kelly Sue Robinette, 57, who were found dead inside their Kerger Road residence in Ellicott City.

Reynold's stolen vehicle was found abandoned, which reportedly led to the discovery of the victims' bodies inside their home a day after Reynolds' death.

Burnham was arrested without incident Sept. 30, 2021, outside a motel in Davis, West Virginia, in a 2007 Chevrolet Corvette that he allegedly stole from his brother.

Prosecutors believe that Burnham was motivated by conspiracy theories around the COVID-19 vaccine.

Brian Robinette, a pharmacist, administered doses of the vaccine as part of his job. Before the killings took place, Burnham reportedly told his mother, "Brian knows something!" according to mediareports.

A series of court hearings is now expected in both jurisdictions following the rulings that Burnham is competent to stand trial. He is being represented in Allegany County by attorneys of the Public Defender's Office. The case is being prosecuted by the office of State's Attorney James Elliott.