'Faith In Jesus' Helps Family Of Slain Woman Found In Van

GLEN BURNIE, MD — The family of a slain Glen Burnie woman who had just finished veterinary technician training says their faith is helping them cope with her murder. Megan Ellen Burdeaux, 21, of the 7000 block of West Drive in Glen Burnie, was reported missing at 7:55 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25, Anne Arundel County Police said. When detectives were told she was missing, they said they learned she may have been murdered by her boyfriend and might still have been in his vehicle.

Burdeaux's body was located on Wednesday morning in the back of his vehicle. Edgar Franklin Manning IV, 26, of no fixed address, has been charged with first and second-degree murder, according to police. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is scheduled to perform an autopsy to determine the exact cause and manner of death.

Family members said Burdeaux had dated Manning for about a year and a half, and described her as extremely focused on advancing in her field if study. Her father told WJZ that the family is in extreme pain.

“You think it’s going to happen to somebody else, you don’t think it’s going to happen to you, but then when it hits close to home, my faith in Jesus is holding me together,” Randy Burdeaux, Megan’s father, told the TV station.

Want more local news? Get the Annapolis Patch newsletter.

According to police, Manning had an argument with his girlfriend Monday night while they were in the 8000 block of Ritchie Highway. Based upon the initial investigation, authorities allege Manning assaulted her, and she died.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department's homicide unit and fugitive apprehension team searched for Burdeaux and her boyfriend.

At 2:50 a.m. on Wednesday, uniformed officers and fugitive apprehension team members found Manning's Chevrolet minivan parked in the area of Sappington Station Road and Burns Crossing Road near Odenton, according to police.

Police said that after fighting with law enforcement officers, Manning was taken into custody, and the body of Burdeaux was located in the back of his minivan. First responders pronounced her dead at the scene, officials reported.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Anne Arundel County Homicide Unit at 410-222-4731. Want to remain anonymous? Use the Anne Arundel County Police Tip Line at 410-222-4700 or Metro Crime Stoppers.
Tipsters can submit information to Metro Crime Stoppers through these methods:

• Call 1-866-7LOCKUP (866-756-2587)
• Download the P3 Tips App for Apple and Android phones
• Send a tip through the Metro Crime Stoppers website

Photo courtesy of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.