KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) –After four hours of diliberation, the jury in the Charles Pickett Jr. murder trial has returned a verdict of guilty on all counts. That includes five counts of second degree murder, five counts of driving while intoxicated causing death and four counts of driving intoxicated causing serious injury.
In closing arguments Tuesday morning, the prosecution argued for a finding of second degree murder, and the defense hoped that the jury would look past the horrible pain and suffering that Pickett’s actions caused and woult instead find him guilty on the lesser counts of driving intoxicated causing death and injury.
He was charged with running down 9 members of the Chain Gang Bicycle club from behind on a clear June day in 2016, killing 53-year-old Debra Ann Bradley of Augusta; 42-year-old Melissa Fevig Hughes,of Kalamazoo; 73-year-old Fred “Tony” Nelson of Kalamazoo; 74-year-old Lorenz “Larry” Paulik of Kalamazoo and 56-year-old Suzanne Sippel of Augusta.
Four members of the group lived to testify against Pickett, including; Jennifer Johnson of Kalamazoo, Sheila Jeske of Richland, and Paul Runnels and Paul Gobble both of Richland. They were critically injured and may never fully recover from their injuries.
The case pivoted on whether the jury interpreted Pickett’s actions as being in reckless disregard of life.
The prosecution contended that his wild ride through Kalamazoo prior to striking the bikers after angrily taking a handful of pills following a fight with his girlfriend, proves he did not care about the safety of himself or others, especially as the pills took hold.
The foreman of the jury says the fact that Pickett had repeated opportunities to stop and get out of the truck during that last wild ride, and did not, choosing instead to go on was what convinced him.
Assistant Prosecutor Michael Kanaby started his closing arguements with the video of Pickett, zonked out and uncommunicative after striking the cyclists on North Westnedge.
Kanaby held up the pills confiscated from Pickett’s truck and asked the jury if anyone could think that they would be safe driving a truck after ingesting a handful of painkillers and muscle relaxants.
Defense Attorney Keith Turpel argued that the instructions on the pill bottles were in a foreign language and Pickett had never sat down with a doctor to discuss the effect the pills could have on him.
Turpel claimed he did not know the risks. He claimed the Prosecution failed to prove that Pickett knew what he was doing was dangerous, and as long as there is reasonable doubt, they have to find him not guilty of the second degree murder counts.
The jury didn’t buy it.
Pickett could get anything up to life in prison when he is sentenced on June 11.
