Preliminary hearing on Swan Boat Club disaster • Investigation into Trump's visit to Michigan • No charges in baby's death caused by fentanyl

Friday's news hit – The defense is expected to call its final witness today as the trial continues in the 2014 death of McKenzie Cochran at Northland Mall.

Closing arguments could still take place today.

John Seiberling, Gaven King and Aaron Maree were charged with manslaughter after the death was investigated years later in 2014. A fourth guard accused of murder, Lucius Hamilton, pleaded guilty, and a fifth guard died before charges were filed.

According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Cochran, 25, of Ferndale, told the owner of a jewelry store in the Southfield mall on January 28, 2014, that he wanted to “kill someone.”

Two security guards came to the store after the owner requested security. When Cochran approached the guards with his fists clenched, one sprayed him with pepper spray and both tried to pin him to the ground. Three more security guards arrived and joined in the restraint effort to handcuff Cochran, authorities said.

Video showed Cochran lying face down with his arms beneath his body while the five security guards held him down. Witnesses at the mall and later interviews with the security guards involved reported that Cochran said he could not breathe while lying on the ground.

After a re-examination of the case in 2020, charges were filed.

Preliminary hearing against Marshella Chidester today

Marshella Chidester, the woman who authorities say drove drunk into the Swan Boat Club in Monroe and killed two children earlier this year, is scheduled to appear in court today for a pretrial hearing.

Chidester, 66, was scheduled to go on trial in June for the April 20 car crash that killed 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and 5-year-old Zayn Phillips and injured more than a dozen other people.

She is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of drunken driving causing death and four counts of drunken driving causing serious bodily injury. Her blood alcohol level was 0.18, more than twice the legal limit in Michigan, according to the results of a blood test.

Although there was evidence that she was drunk, her attorney Bill Colovos argued that she should not be charged with premeditated murder because she had no intention of killing anyone.

“My client had no intention whatsoever,” he said during the preliminary hearing.

Michigan Bureau of Elections investigates Trump visit

The Michigan Bureau of Elections is currently formally investigating two complaints against the Livingston County Sheriff's Office alleging possible misuse of public funds to support political candidates – an offense punishable by fines or up to 93 days in jail.

The complaints accused the sheriff's office of violating the Michigan Campaign Finance Act.

Former President Donald Trump held a press conference in Howell that was closed to the public but was nationally televised. He was accompanied by local law enforcement officials, including Howell Police Chief Michael Dunn and Sheriff Michael Murphy, at the Livingston County Sheriff's camp. Although the event was billed as a press conference, critics called it a campaign rally.

“We will take this country, we will make it safe again, and we will make America great again,” Trump said during his speech against a backdrop of police generals and vehicles.

The event with Trump reportedly led to the closure of several county offices, including courts and the district attorney's office. Murphy responded to the allegations on Thursday, telling FOX 2 by phone that no officer was relieved of duty to attend the event.

In addition, Murphy said that the organization of the press conference was initiated by the Trump campaign team and that the Livingston County Sheriff's Office would also accommodate Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris upon request.

No charges filed in baby's fentanyl death case

A year after one-year-old Prentesis Keleo Goode died of a fentanyl overdose in Detroit, his father Donnell Holmes is still mourning him.

The grief is also mixed with anger because the public prosecutor's office has refused to bring charges against the person who gave the child access to the drug due to a lack of evidence.

“I just don't understand what the problem is with this case, it's just swept under the rug,” Holmes said. “And the excuse they gave me was that there were two adults in the house and they would both say, 'I didn't do it,' and that makes no sense in the world.”

However, Holmes claims that the prosecution claims that it lacks evidence.

“They have enough evidence,” Holmes said. “He was there with his mother, and if they didn't find fentanyl in the house, then it was in my son.”

Holmes has reached out to victim advocates, even the American Bar Association, but to no avail. He feels he has exhausted all options, but he will not give up.

“Kym Worthy, I think you screwed up here,” he said. “Please take another look at this case because my son's case deserves justice.”

Huntington Woods woman killed in plane crash on Mackinac Island

A Huntington Woods woman died Wednesday after a carriage accident on Mackinac Island.

According to Mackinac Island Police, the 77-year-old victim was riding her bicycle in the area of ​​Main Street and Bogan Lane around 2:15 p.m. She was riding westbound when she collided with a car traveling eastbound.

The woman was taken to McLaren Hospital in Petoskey, where she later died.

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Daily forecast

This weekend the summer heat returns.

What else we observe

1. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night, praising Kamala Harris and encouraging people to vote for the current vice president in the fall.
2. Police are still searching for a suspect after a shooting outside Benihana in Dearborn Wednesday night, releasing surveillance video from a vehicle connected to the crime.
3. Following a groundbreaking decision by the Michigan Supreme Court last July, several departments are seeking clarification on how the state's next minimum wage will be calculated.
4. Federal authorities allege that controversial former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is lying about his address while trying to move his refund request out of Michigan.
5. The weekend is here! Find activities here.

Kamala Harris officially accepts the presidential nomination

The Democratic Party Convention ended on Thursday with Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepting the presidential candidacy, capping weeks of turbulence and surprises within the political party.

The theme of the fourth and final evening was “For Our Future” and addressed the stakes of the upcoming election, which was portrayed as a choice between a dangerous return to Trump’s policies and a hopeful future under Harris and Walz.

After speaking for about 37 minutes, Harris concluded her speech and was joined on stage by her husband, Doug Emhoff, as well as her fellow Vice President and Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, and his wife Gwen.

Family members began playing with some of the 100,000 red, white and blue balloons that fell from the net that had been attached to the ceiling all week.