Convicted murderer pleads no contest to assault cases in Michigan county jail
A Michigan man who was convicted of murdering a woman has pleaded no contest in connection with four cases involving assault or attempted assault while he was in the Macomb County Jail.
According to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, 23-year-old Stephen Freeman will be sentenced on July 10, 2026, in those cases.
Freeman is also awaiting sentencing for the 2022 murder of Gabriele Seitz in Roseville. In that case, he was convicted in September 2025 on six charges, including first-degree premeditated murder.
"While the convictions for these assault offenses are significant to the People, the sentence this Court imposes will have limited practical impact in light of the defendant's murder conviction, for which he faces either life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or a lengthy term of years—likely between 40 and 60 years," said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido in a statement.
Prosecutors say that on Oct. 27, 2022, Freeman, who was 19 at the time, broke into Seitz's home and sexually assaulted her when she returned. Prosecutors say Freeman strangled Seitz with a shoelace and wrapped her body in what appeared to be bedsheets before putting her in the trunk of her vehicle.
Freeman then drove away in Seitz's car and was struck by a semi-truck near Hayes and Common. Authorities say Freeman ran away from the vehicle. Officers who responded to the crash discovered the victim's body in the trunk.
Prosecutors say a Miller hearing will determine if Freeman will be sentenced to life in prison or a term of years for the murder conviction.