For Jaymyra and Taymyra Burrell, the date of Aug. 15 held a deeper significance beyond it being their birthday.

The twins happened to share their birthday with their mother. But that special day has now been taken away from the family, said their uncle, Eddie Duffin.

That’s because on Dec. 4, 2022, Malik McCormick, Jaymyra Burrell’s boyfriend, fatally shot her outside an apartment building on Woodmont Avenue between Lochner Road and Cochran Avenue in Woodbourne Heights. She was 19.

At the time, Jaymyra Burrell was five months pregnant with their daughter, whom she planned to name Zuri. Family members went from planning her baby shower to arranging her funeral.

“This has devastated my family so badly that we struggle to even find the strength to come to court,” Duffin said on Wednesday in Baltimore Circuit Court. “But we come because we loved Jaymyra, and the world needs to know how much she was loved so everyone can know how much we have lost.”

McCormick, 24, of Parkville, was later sentenced for first-degree murder and related crimes to life in prison with all but 50 years suspended. He must also spend five years on probation.

Standing in a yellow jumpsuit while handcuffed and shackled, McCormick made a brief statement during which he said he accepted full responsibility for his actions.

“I truly do apologize for everything that’s happened,” he said.

The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Jaymyra Burrell was shot nine times.

Baltimore Police interviewed multiple witnesses, including one who reported that McCormick confessed to the killing. Detectives also used cellphone records and surveillance video to link him to the crime.

The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office arrested McCormick on July 1, 2023, in South Charleston, West Virginia, after pulling him over and realizing that he had an outstanding arrest warrant for murder.

Family members described Jaymyra Burrell as a beautiful, creative and unique soul who had a big smile.

Her cousin, Christian Duffin, said she felt like somewhat of an outcast growing up because of a hearing impairment.

But Jaymyra Burrell, she said, was not just her cousin. They went to church together every Sunday, took part in sleepovers and celebrated birthdays.

“Jaymyra, I love you forever,” Christian Duffin said. “Keep dancing in paradise.”

Octavia Dozier, Jaymyra Burrell’s mother, said her daughter was bright and full of life.

She was her baby, Dozier said, who was about to have a baby of her own.

“She was so excited. She was having a baby girl,” Dozier said. “It was what she wanted.”

Now, Dozier said, she has had to endure a “roller coaster of trauma.”

Circuit Judge Althea M. Handy extended her condolences to more than a dozen loved ones who sat in the courtroom gallery. She described them as remarkable, adding that their statements were beautiful.

In her more than 22 years on the bench, Handy said, she could not recall a time when family members did not express anger toward the killer of their loved one.

“You are truly amazing,” said Handy, who previously served as an assistant state’s attorney. “Amazing.”

When the hearing concluded, Handy told them to take care. And she urged family members and friends to start celebrating again on Aug. 15.