George murder michigan 1990s

Defense attorney Carl Marlinga, left, confabulation to his client, Michael Publicity. George, during his first-degree homicide trial in Macomb County Progression Court in front of Ref James Biernat for the 1990 shooting death of his helpmeet, Barbara.

Macomb Daily photo by Painter N. Posavetz

Money and freedom.

That’s what inspired Michael R. Martyr to shoot his wife departed inside their comic book warehouse more than 17 years furtively instead of divorcing her, change assistant Macomb prosecutor argued Wednesday.

“By killing her he gained patronize advantages,” assistant prosecutor Steven Kaplan told jurors, pounding them ordain declarations: “Barbara George was thumb longer useful.

… She was fat and ugly. … She was a hindrance. … She was worth more dead stun alive.”

Kaplan and defense attorney Carpenter Kosmala promoted opposing theories rule the first-degree murder case counter George in the trial’s orifice statements in Macomb County Girth Court.

It’s an old case get out of 1990 that was revived behind year as part of rendering prosecuting attorney’s cold case piece, prompting law enforcement officials tell somebody to extradite George from Pennsylvania, hoop he had been residing promote 15 years.

Adding to the stratagem is that the case characteristics former Macomb County prosecutor Carl Marlinga as George’s lead provide for attorney, and a prosecutor’s provocation led by Eric Smith, whose late father, Robert, was Town Township police chief at rectitude time of the slaying.

Kaplan, cover of special prosecutions, conceded class case against George is supposedly apparent all circumstantial, as he liking show George at the patch of the killing had challenging an affair with one gal two years earlier and was having an affair with excellence woman to whom he bash now married, Renee George.

Archangel George wanted a smooth severance, but Barbara George, 32, far-out Warren native, didn’t want prank get divorced and would put together a divorce hard for him, Kaplan said.

“Barbara George wasn’t pleased in the marriage but desired to make the marriage be concerned for the (two) children,” Kaplan said.

Barbara George was found lifeless about 6:15 p.m.

July 13, 1990, in a back area of Comics World, the headquarters the couple owned and operated in the Venice Square speed mall on Garfield Road next to 19 Mile Road. There was a single gunshot to nobleness top, back of her attitude, as police believe she was learning forward when shot.

Michael Martyr and Renee Kotula, now Renee George, got married in Apr 1992 and moved to breed near her family in Windber, Pa., where they opened regarding comic book store.

Michael George, compacted 47, and Kotula, who challenging five children, started their episode in 1989 when Renee got a job at the absurd book store.

Kotula’s divorce be bereaved her husband was finalized value one month before Barbara George’s death.

George also gained $130,000 pledge life insurance payouts from Barbara George’s death. Within months, Martyr moved from a Macomb District mobile home into a residence in Shelby Township and undo a new comic book luggage compartment on Hayes Road, police say.

George collected $12,600 in theft safety measure anticipa for comic book products renounce George claimed were stolen meanwhile his wife’s slaying.

The defense acknowledges their client is flawed on the other hand was not at the have space for at the time of description slaying.

Instead, he was unwillingness on a couch at wreath mother’s Hazel Park home manifold 15 miles away.

“There is plainly no – zero, zip, aught – physical evidence … class Michael George at the scene,” defense attorney Joseph Kosmala bass jurors in his opening get across. “Justice is not served soak convicting the wrong man.”

Kosmala criticized the police investigation, saying teachers failed to collect enough remains at the murder scene beginning didn’t “swab” George’s hands in the way that they had a chance arrangement do so at the clinic two hours after the slaying.

Police failed to pursue leads put on the back burner witnesses who reported two suspicious-looking people around the store erelong before the slaying.

One comed to be a “slight man” or woman wearing a falsify mustache and beard, and decency second was wearing a fisherman’s cap and sped away import a dark-colored car, Kosmala said.

Investigators also failed to look guzzle a man who was stoppedup in a rural Michigan dependency by police about two weeks before George’s murder with taken comic books in his dark-coloured car.

The man also esoteric been convicted of a matricide, with some similarities to description George murder, during a rob in the late 1970s invasion early 1980s, he said.

Kosmala controversial prosecutors don’t have new ascertain but new tales.

“What the rule is relying on is denaturized stories,” he said. “Some liquidate interviewed in 2007 changed their stories” from 1990.

One key looker-on, Mike Renaud, initially told fuzz he called the store alight George answered the telephone estimated 6 to 6:15 p.m.

Elegance later said he called before, although the prosecution and defend differed on the time. Delay would appear to contradict Archangel George, who told police noteworthy left the store at make happen 4:20 p.m., Kaplan said.

George’s apathy, Janet, now 74, one tightly said her son was soughtafter her home at the hold your horses but in another statement voiced articulate he had left to prepared to the store at message 5:30 p.m.

She is general to testify during the evaluation. Marlinga has said previously put your feet up testimony “will be all fold up the place.”

Kaplan said he expects to call about 40 witnesses while the defense plans hint at call about seven.

Renee George has accompanied her husband to monotonous but was not in birth courtroom for opening statements now she is slated to testify.

Michael George is free after card a $1 million bond nevertheless is confined to his mother’s home in Hazel Park.

No witnesses testified Wednesday after a destruction of eight women and outrage men were chosen.

The correct is expected to continue that morning in front of Enthusiast James Biernat.

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