Wednesday News Summary 10-19-22Wed, 19 Oct 2022 12:00:25 EDT
(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)
ALPENA MEN CHARGED WITH MURDER OF TWO LOCAL WOMEN
Two Alpena area men have been charged in the deaths of two local women who disappeared over a year ago, according to a press release by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Brad Srebnik, 36, of Alpena, is accused of murdering Brynn Bills in August 2021. Srebnik and Joshua Wirgau, 35, also of Alpena, are accused of then murdering Abby Hill in September of that same year to prevent Hill from revealing information about the murder of Bills. Charges against Srebnik and Wirgau were announced by Nessel and Muszynski at a press conference Wednesday morning (October 19th) in Alpena.
Srebnik is charged with the following:
- One count of first-degree premeditated homicide for the murder of Brynn Bills, a felony that carries a life sentence without the possibility of parole;
- One count of first-degree premeditated homicide for the murder of Abby Hill, a felony that carries a life sentence without the possibility of parole;
- One count of disinterment and mutilation of a dead body for the burying of Brynn Bills, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years;
- One count of felony firearm - second offense, using a firearm in the commissioning of a felony, five years consecutive to any underlying charges;
- One count of felony firearm possession, a felony with a maximum sentence of five years.
Joshua Wirgau is charged with the following:
- One count of first-degree premeditated homicide for the murder of Abby Hill, a felony that carries a life sentence without the possibility of parole;
- One count of disinterment and mutilation of a dead body for the burying of Brynn Bills, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years;
- One count of being an accessary after the fact to a felony for the hiding of Brynn Bills’ body, a felony carrying a maximum sentence of five years;
- One count of felony firearm possession, a felony carrying a maximum sentence of five years;
- One count of felony firearm - second offense notice, using a firearm in the commissioning of a felony, five years consecutive to any underlying charges.
Both Srebnik and Wirgau are habitual offenders.
Srebnik and Wirgau will be arraigned in 88th District Court before Judge Allan M. Curtis on Thursday, October 20 at 1:15p.m. They are both currently serving two years in the custody of the Michigan Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to felony firearm possession charges in February of 2022.
PRISONER DEATH
A prisoner is dead - another hurt - after a pair of stabbings at the Macomb County
Correctional Facility. Department of Corrections spokesman Chris Gautz says a
prisoner stabbed another in the back and face while returning from meal time. When
the guards went to search the prisoner's cell, they found his roommate dead. Gautz
says Michigan State Police are investigating what weapon was used. Counselors are
being brought in to help the prisoners and staff. The suspect is being moved to a
maximum security facility.
STOLEN PROJECTOR
Police in mid-Michigan are looking for the thief who stole the projector from a drive-in
movie theater. The Ionia County Sheriff's Office says the digital projector that was
filched from "Danny Boys" drive-in theater sometime between October 6th and October
9th. Police say while the projector is worth a lot - there aren't a lot of opportunities to
sell it. The theater closed in 2018.
UNRULY PASSENGER
Nearly 200 passengers on a Delta flight that was headed to Korea late Monday night
are still waiting to get to their destination. Airport officials say Flight 283 from Detroit to
Seoul had to turn around due to a medical emergency with one of the passengers. The
Airport fire department took the person to the hospital. Delta says the incident put the
flight crew over their allowable air time and has lead to an extended delay. In a
statement, officials say they "are working to get everyone to their destinations as soon
as possible.
ASTRONAUT OBIT
NASA has announced the death of a former Astronaut from Michigan. James McDivitt
was the commander of the mission in 1965 that lead to the first spacewalk. NASA
says McDivitt's second mission as head of Apollo 9 played a critical role in landing the
first humans on the Moon. McDivitt was a Kalamazoo High School Grad, who
graduated from the University of Michigan in 1959. McDivitt died peacefully last week
surrounded by family and friends. He was 93.
COOKIE DOUGH RECALL
Nestle is recalling pre-made cookie dough that may be contaminated with plastic. The
recall is for the Nestle Toll House Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie dough with fudge
filling. Officials say the dough could contain white pieces of plastic. Anyone with the
dough in the fridge can bring it back to the store for a refund. No other dough is
affected by the recall.
PRISON ASSAULTS-MACOMB COUNTY
One prisoner is dead - another hurt - after a stabbing Tuesday at the Macomb County
Correctional Facility. Corrections spokesman Chris Gautz says the suspect stabbed a
man as the prisoners were returning from meal time, wounding him in the back, arm
and face...That prisoner will be okay, but the inmate then killed his cellmate. He has
been moved to a maximum security prison.
MURDER FOR HIRE-N MI
Police in northern Michigan have arrested a man who they say tried to hire someone to
kill his former girlfriend. An inmate at the Charlevoix County Jail claims 26-year-old
Caleb Beesley offered to bail him out of jail if he would kill the woman. Police claim
Beesely had assaulted the woman several times over the past year. He is charged
with solicitation of homicide.
MAN SHARES NUDES OF GIRLFRIEND ONLINE-N MI
A northern Michigan man is under arrest for allegedly posting nude photos and videos
of his girlfriend online without her permission. Michigan State Police say 42-year-old
John Miller from Alpena even pretended to be the victim online, inviting a man to come
to her house and watch her have sex with Miller through the bedroom window. The
victim found out about the ruse when the man eventually did show up to her home.
Miller is facing several charges, including using a computer to commit a crime. He is
due back in court next month.
EMONI BATES IN COURT
Eastern Michigan University basketball star Emoni (E-mon-EE) Bates will be in court
today for a plea agreement.
The 18-year-old Bates -- a former No. 1 overall -- was arrested during a traffic stop in
September... originally facing two felonies after a gun was found in his car.
Last week, Bates' attorney Steve Haney confirmed that a plea deal was reached. In
exchange for dropping the felony charges, he is expected to plead guilty to one
misdemeanor count of attempted illegal transportation of a weapon.
Bates -- who will appear in court in Washtenaw County -- has resumed basketball
activities at EMU.
POLICE LOOK FOR ASSAULT SUSPECT-W MI
Police in west Michigan are asking for the public's help to find a man who assaulted a
female employee at a Wyoming gas station last week. The Wyoming Department of
Public Safety says the man got in an argument with the clerk and started throwing
things around the store and when she tried to get him to leave, he hit her in the head.
The man drove off in a black party bus. Anyone with information should call police or
Silent Observer.
U-P SNOW
As some parts of the U-P have gotten a lot of snow over the past few days, there are
still winter weather advisories in effect today for Central Chippewa, Southeast
Chippewa, Western Mackinac and Eastern Mackinac Counties. They're expecting
another one to three inches of snow.
Marquette has had 18 inches of snow over two days. Ironwood got 14 inches of snow...
While the U-P can get snow in October, it's not usually this much.
DRUG SEIZURES
Drug Enforcement Agency officials announcing nearly one-hundred thousand fentanyl
laced pills and more than one-hundred forty pounds of fentanyl powder taken off the
streets during phase three of the "One Pill Can Kill" initiative.
Mark Totten the Western District Attorney of Michigan says his office is prosecuting the
people peddling the poison, but it's going to take a village to address the problem.
Totten says more than sixty-percent of the more than one-hundred thousand drugpoisoning deaths in 20-21 are connected to synthetic drugs.
MOUNT PLEASANT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
There will be tighter security at Mount Pleasant high school football games beginning
this Friday. Any bag taken into the stadium will be searched and all fans will be subject
to being screened by a metal detector. Students from kindergarten through 8th grade
will be encouraged to have an adult with them for the game.
The school district pushed for changes in security after a juvenile was arrested a few
weeks ago for having a gun near the stadium.
CRUMBLEY COURT RULING
A judge has ruled NOT to limit which Oxford High School shooting victims can receive
information from the court during the case against the parents of accused gunman
Ethan Crumbley.
James and Jennifer Crumbley tried to restrict who could receive updates about court
proceedings. They hoped a judge would limit sharing information to ONLY the families
whose children died in the shooting.
The request left other families outraged -- but the ruling ensures there will be NO
restriction on who can receive information.
NMU PRESIDENT WELCOME
Northern Michigan University welcomed new president Brock Tessman to campus on
Tuesday. W-L-U-C reports a reception was held for Tessman and his family last
evening.. Tessman , who takes office in February, says the chance to work at an
institution that really puts students at the center of everything we do is really one of the
things that brought him to Marquette.
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