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Associated Press
15-05-2025
- Associated Press
Michigan drunken driver sentenced to 25 years for birthday party crash that killed 2 kids
MONROE, Mich. (AP) — A drunken driver who crashed her SUV into a birthday party at a Michigan boat club, killing two children, was sentenced Thursday to at least 25 years in prison for second-degree murder. Marshella Chidester sat just a few feet away as the parents of 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and her 4-year-old brother Zayn Phillips described the impact of the devastating loss last year at what was supposed to be a celebration. 'That grief has been unbearable. ... She took everything in my life and destroyed it,' Mariah Dodds said through tears. Security video showed an SUV zipping along a dusty, pitted road at 44 mph (71 kph) before crashing into the side of the Swan Boat Club, near Lake Erie, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Detroit. Chidester, 67, was found guilty of second-degree murder and other charges after a four-day trial in March in Monroe County. Her blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit to drive, according to evidence. Chidester's trial lawyer suggested a leg problem could have caused her to press hard on the gas pedal, a claim the jury rejected. Because of her age, Chidester could die in prison before she becomes eligible for parole in 25 years. 'I've asked the Lord to forgive me,' Chidester said in court, 'and I ask you to at least look into your heart and at some point if you can possibly forgive me, I would appreciate that so much.' Chidester lived close to the boat club and had many personal connections to it, her lawyer said. Her father started it, she was a former commodore and she held her wedding reception there, her lawyer said.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- The Independent
Michigan drunken driver sentenced to 25 years for birthday party crash that killed 2 kids
A drunken driver who crashed her SUV into a birthday party at a Michigan boat club, killing two children, was sentenced Thursday to at least 25 years in prison for second-degree murder. Marshella Chidester sat just a few feet away as the parents of 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and her 4-year-old brother Zayn Phillips described the impact of the devastating loss last year at what was supposed to be a celebration. 'That grief has been unbearable. ... She took everything in my life and destroyed it," Mariah Dodds said through tears. Security video showed an SUV zipping along a dusty, pitted road at 44 mph (71 kph) before crashing into the side of the Swan Boat Club, near Lake Erie, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Detroit. Chidester, 67, was found guilty of second-degree murder and other charges after a four-day trial in March in Monroe County. Her blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit to drive, according to evidence. Chidester's trial lawyer suggested a leg problem could have caused her to press hard on the gas pedal, a claim the jury rejected. Because of her age, Chidester could die in prison before she becomes eligible for parole in 25 years. 'I've asked the Lord to forgive me,' Chidester said in court, 'and I ask you to at least look into your heart and at some point if you can possibly forgive me, I would appreciate that so much.' Chidester lived close to the boat club and had many personal connections to it, her lawyer said. Her father started it, she was a former commodore and she held her wedding reception there, her lawyer said.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Yahoo
Prosecution rests case against Monroe County woman charged in fatal Swan Boat Club crash
Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday morning against a Monroe County woman accused of crashing her SUV into Swan Boat Club last year, killing two young siblings and injuring others attending a child's birthday party. Twenty-seven witness testified since Monday, when the trial began for Marshella Chidester, 67, who is charged in the deaths of Zayn Phillips, 4, and his sister, Alanah Phillips, 8 and injuring others, some severely, in the April 20 crash. The boat club is in Newport, about 30 miles south of Detroit. Chidester is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death and five counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury. Her defense is expected to argue that a medical condition contributed to the crash, saying Chidester has seizures and neuropathy. Prosecutors wrapped up their case after calling six witnesses Wednesday, including 14-year-old Edward Smothers, who suffered a broken leg and needed surgery and crutches. He testified that he attended the party with his aunt, Mariah Dodds, who gave emotional testimony in court Tuesday. Roe Mundy, the phlebotomist who took Chidester's lab tests at the hospital just over three hours after the crash that day, also testified. Jurors saw video Tuesday from a Monroe County deputy's body-worn camera showing the test kit and blood draw at the hospital. Under cross-examination, defense attorney Bill Colovos questioned why there was no doctor's name on a specific piece of paperwork. On redirect, Assistant Prosecutor Kenneth Laurain asked Mundy if she ever worked in a hospital not under the authority of a physician, to which she answered "no." She testified that she was not sure who the physician was in the emergency room that day because she was called down to the department to draw the blood and when she leaves, there is still paperwork being filled out. The other remaining witnesses focused on Chidester's blood samples handled by the Michigan State Police crime lab in Lansing. Tabitha Faust, a forensic scientist at the lab, testified the case "had a rush" and the samples were hand-delivered to prepare for alcohol testing right away. During her testimony, it was stated that Chidester's blood alcohol level was 0.18, with the legal limit being 0.08. Law enforcement officials previously said Chidester had a blood alcohol level of 0.18, more than twice the legal limit to be considered legally drunk in Michigan, at the time of the crash. The charges read in court Monday accused her of being impaired by a combination of alcohol and Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant and nerve pain medication. Colovos asked Faust: "Your testing is only as good as the subject matter delivered to you, correct?" To which, she answered "correct." Samantha Beauchamp, a supervisor in the toxicology unit at the lab, testified that Chidester's blood sample contained 0.13 micrograms per milliliter of Gabapentin. Contact Christina Hall: chall@ Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. Submit a letter to the editor at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Prosecution rests case against woman in fatal Swan Boat Club crash
