KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — Opening arguments have been heard in the murder trial of Charles Pickett Jr., the Battle Creek man charged with Kalamazoo’s biking tragedy in June of 2016.
Pickett was taken into custody hiding in the bushes near the scene of the crash on North Westnedge, north of the Nature Center in Cooper Township after allegedly running down nine members of the Chain Gang, a local biking club who were on their weekly ride through the country.
Five of them were killed and four were badly injured, suffering life-long impairments.
Several police agencies and the National Transportation Safety Board did investigations and all showed that Pickett was intoxicated on pain killers and muscle relaxants and other drugs were found in his system and his truck.
The facts of the case may not be at issue. The case may pivot on Pickett’s state of mind at the time of the crash, something that will be harder to prove one way or another.
Defense Attorney Keith Turpel arguing instead in his opening statement that the five counts of second degree murder are inappropriate, challenging the notion that Pickett’s intent was to hurt anyone when he got behind the wheel.
But Assistant Prosecutor Michael Kanaby told the jury they will show that Pickett had been at a family funeral and took a handful of pills because he was depressed and did show a disregard for life, his own when he told a friend that he wished he was dead.
Pickett is charged with 14 felonies, five counts of second degree murder, five counts of driving recklessly causing death, and four counts of driving recklessly causing impairment.
The prosecution called their first witness yesterday, and will continue to present their case Wednesday morning. Testimony is expected to take about a week, but could go longer.
