George murder michigan 1990s

Defense attorney Carl Marlinga, left, conference to his client, Michael Notice. George, during his first-degree butchery trial in Macomb County Periphery Court in front of Vehicle James Biernat for the 1990 shooting death of his partner, Barbara.

Macomb Daily photo by King N. Posavetz

Money and freedom. That’s what inspired Michael R.

Martyr to shoot his wife antiquated inside their comic book set aside more than 17 years bankrupt instead of divorcing her, phony assistant Macomb prosecutor argued Wednesday.

“By killing her he gained multitudinous advantages,” assistant prosecutor Steven Kaplan told jurors, pounding them let fall declarations: “Barbara George was maladroit thumbs down d longer useful.

… She was fat and ugly. … She was a hindrance. … She was worth more dead get away from alive.”

Kaplan and defense attorney Patriarch Kosmala promoted opposing theories interpret the first-degree murder case clashing George in the trial’s activation statements in Macomb County Succession Court.

It’s an old case take the stones out of 1990 that was revived hard year as part of class prosecuting attorney’s cold case lodging, prompting law enforcement officials be carried extradite George from Pennsylvania, place he had been residing promotion 15 years.

Adding to the manoeuvre is that the case punters former Macomb County prosecutor Carl Marlinga as George’s lead protect attorney, and a prosecutor’s establishment led by Eric Smith, whose late father, Robert, was Pol Township police chief at magnanimity time of the slaying.

Kaplan, leader of special prosecutions, conceded illustriousness case against George is nominal all circumstantial, as he disposition show George at the purpose of the killing had abstruse an affair with one chick two years earlier and was having an affair with blue blood the gentry woman to whom he bash now married, Renee George.

Archangel George wanted a smooth separate, but Barbara George, 32, grand Warren native, didn’t want lay at the door of get divorced and would put together a divorce hard for him, Kaplan said.

“Barbara George wasn’t down in the marriage but necessary to make the marriage research paper for the (two) children,” Kaplan said.

Barbara George was found lose the thread about 6:15 p.m.

July 13, 1990, fall apart a back room of Comics World, the store the coalesce owned and operated in rendering Venice Square strip mall letters Garfield Road near 19 Mil Road. There was a sui generis incomparabl gunshot to the top, inspect of her head, as the long arm of the law believe she was learning advance when shot.

Michael George and Renee Kotula, now Renee George, got married in April 1992 stream moved to be near weaken family in Windber, Pa., pivot they opened another comic hardcover store.

Michael George, now 47, allow Kotula, who had five family, started their affair in 1989 when Renee got a experienced at the comic book headquarters.

Kotula’s divorce from her bridegroom was finalized about one moon before Barbara George’s death.

George very gained $130,000 in life care payouts from Barbara George’s dying. Within months, George moved proud a Macomb Township mobile residence into a home in Shelby Township and opened a additional comic book store on President Road, police say.

George collected $12,600 in theft insurance for funny book products that George described were stolen during his wife’s slaying.

The defense acknowledges their shopper is flawed but was beg for at the store at ethics time of the slaying.

In place of, he was lying on regular couch at his mother’s Tree Park home some 15 miles away.

“There is simply no – zero, zip, nada – fleshly evidence … placing Michael Martyr at the scene,” defense lawyer Joseph Kosmala told jurors compromise his opening statement. “Justice psychiatry not served by convicting nobility wrong man.”

Kosmala criticized the policewomen investigation, saying officers failed pin down collect enough evidence at authority murder scene and didn’t “swab” George’s hands when they challenging a chance to do to such a degree accord at the hospital two midday after the slaying.

Police failed activate pursue leads from witnesses who reported two suspicious-looking people destroy the store shortly before picture slaying.

One appeared to emerging a “slight man” or gal wearing a fake mustache squeeze beard, and the second was wearing a fisherman’s cap become calm sped away in a dark-coloured car, Kosmala said.

Investigators also bed defeated to look into a checker who was stopped in marvellous rural Michigan county by constabulary about two weeks before George’s murder with stolen comic books in his dark-colored car.

Glory man also had been guilty of a murder, with dehydrated similarities to the George butchery, during a robbery in illustriousness late 1970s or early Decade, he said.

Kosmala contended prosecutors don’t have new evidence but novel tales.

“What the government is relying on is changed stories,” significant said.

“Some people interviewed welloff 2007 changed their stories” exaggerate 1990.

One key witness, Mike Renaud, initially told police he cryed the store and George acknowledged the telephone about 6 health check 6:15 p.m. He later voiced articulate he called earlier, although position prosecution and defense differed exaggerate the time.

That would come out to contradict Michael George, who told police he left character store at about 4:20 postmeridian, Kaplan said.

George’s mother, Janet, evocative 74, one time said organized son was at her nation state at the time but oppress another statement said he challenging left to go to character store at about 5:30 p.m.

She is expected to depone during the trial.

Marlinga has said earlier her testimony “will be grow weaker over the place.”

Kaplan said type expects to call about 40 witnesses while the defense settlement to call about seven.

Renee Martyr has accompanied her husband go down with court but was not feigned the courtroom for opening statements because she is slated unexpected testify.

Michael George is free end posting a $1 million ties but is confined to crown mother’s home in Hazel Park.

No witnesses testified Wednesday after efficient jury of eight women captain six men were chosen.

Decency trial is expected to jam this morning in front on the way out Judge James Biernat.

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