Woman Pleads Guilty to Retaliating Against Witness

The Edgewood woman to the 2010 murder of Derrick Maxey Jr. in the pleaded guilty on Thursday.

Danielle Le Nae Kirksey, 23, of the 1900 block of Edgewater Drive, pleaded guilty to retaliating against a state's witness. In exchange for her plea, the state declined to prosecute the remaining three charges against her.

As part of the plea agreement, Kirksey was sentenced to five years jail time with all but the time she's already served suspended. She had been incarcerated since her Nov. 9 arrest.

Kirksey is also sentenced to serve three years' probation and ordered to have no contact with the victim or the victim's family.

The plea hearing took place before Judge William Carr in on Thursday.

Harford County Assistant State's Attorney Joel Muneses told the court that if the case went to trial, witnesses would testify the victim spoke at a suppression hearing in the murder case against on the morning of Nov. 9.

The woman testified that she knew Muhammad, the father of Kirksey's second child, was the gunman who took Maxey's life.

Less than two hours after that hearing, Kirksey and a group of other people, allegedly including Muhammad's mother, went to the victim's apartment on Edgewater Drive where Kirksey started pounding on the door and threatening the woman, Muneses said.

Kirksey screamed, "get that snitch out," and "her body is going to get painted all over these walls," as she beat on the door, Muneses told the court.

Muneses said the two women have known each other for some time, are neighbors and have the same set of friends.

Kirksey's lawyer, Christopher Luber, added that Kirksey has two children, and is a high school graduate who has never before been in legal trouble.

"I'm confident that Miss Kirksey will adjust and abide by the probation conditions," Luber said.

Muhammad r on Nov. 30 and was sentenced to serve 25 years in jail.