2nd Man Charged In Case Of West Bloomfield Woman Found Dead In Burning Car

WEST BLOOMFIELD (WWJ) - A second young man has been charged in connection with the murder of a West Bloomfield woman.

Jaylen Stringer, 19, of West Bloomfield, was arrested Friday morning and arraigned in 48th District Court on one change of tampering with evidence (punishable by more than 10 years in prison) and one count of accessory after the fact (punishable by 5 years and/or a $10,000 fine).

The body of 31-year old Diana Pesserl was found in a burning car near a playground outside the now-closed Pine Lake Elementary School on Long Lake Road, between Orchard Lake and Middlebelt roads, last Friday morning.

Two persons of interests, seen loitering in the Orchard Lake area around the same time the car was found, were interviewed by West Bloomfield detectives that morning.

Investigators believe 18-year-old Desean Smith, a friend of Stringer, had some sort of encounter with Pesserl, shot her in the stomach and then set her car on fire to cover up the murder.

He then allegedly told Stringer about the killing — and Stringer helped him to hide the murder weapon. Stringer later showed detectives where to find the gun, a 38 caliber pistol, in a heating vent in his home.

Days later, Smith, a Detroit resident, was arrested and charged with murder and arson in connection with Pesserl's death. Police do not believe that Pesserl knew her killer.

Stringer remains held on a $250,000 bond.