Courtroom Drama Spills Onto The Street After Murder Arraignment

DETROIT (WWJ) - An emotional spillover from the courtroom to the street after two men are arraigned on murder charges in Detroit.

The uncle of murder victim Amanda Benton, one of two men, led away from 36th District Court in handcuffs Thursday afternoon.

A verbal and reportedly physical brawl broke out after the arraignment of 23-year-old Jacob Barnes and 16-year-old Jeremy Lee, accused of murdering Amanda Benton.

Benton, 29, of Melvindale was pregnant at the time of her murder, her mother Florine Harper spoke out after the arraignment.

"Murder is one thing, being brutally beaten, they killed a fully formed child inside my daughter - they threw her in the trunk of a car and they set her on fire," said Harper."How do you expect family to keep sanity? Their lucky my family hasn't gone out there 'strapped down' -- if I blamed the family - I'd have done took care of the family. I'm doing everything by the law."

She said of the incident outside the courthouse; "if they arrest my brother, I'm going to be highly upset."

Lee, 16, is being tried as an adult.

Police say the suspects put Benton's body in the trunk of her car, drove to an abandoned house and set her body on fire. Barnes and Lee face life in prison if convicted.