Murder Trial Ordered For Allen Park Father

An Allen Park father accused of drowning his two toddlers will stand trial on murder charges. 

A preliminary hearing took place Monday after an Allen Park District Court judge denied a request to postpone the hearing for a second time.

Steven Nicholson's two children, 15-month old Ella Stafford and 13-month old Johnathan Sanderlin died from drowning and scalding, according to the police investigation.

WWJ's Ron Dewey reported the first witness during Monday's hearing was Wayne County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Carl Schmidt. Schmidt said that nothing about the case would indicate an accidental drowning, and he believes that the children died as a result of homicide. 

Schmidt said that both children would have been physically able to get away from the water by themselves. He noted that Johnathan Sanderlin was submerged in water for more than a few minutes. He also found unusual burn marks on Ella Stafford which indicated that she was already dead when she was immersed in the hot water.

Johnathan had burns on 80 percent of his body, while Ella had burns on 25 percent, said Schmidt, who believes the scalding occurred after the drowning.

``The torture that these children underwent,'' assistant prosecutor Carin Goldfarb told the judge.

Defense attorney William Winters III claims it was an accident caused by the kids climbing into the tub while Nicholson slept. He said there may have been a crime but not first-degree, premeditated murder.

``This theory they've got is fantasy,'' Winters said in his closing argument.

Johnathan and Ella had different mothers who did not live with Nicholson, although Tayler Stafford said she saw her daughter almost every day.

Stafford, 19, testified that Nicholson loved Ella but he called Johnathan ``lazy'' and a ``fat heifer'' and would hit him. She said the toddlers were capable of climbing into the tub.

Allen Park police Detective Jeff Miller said Nicholson told a 911 dispatcher the kids had drowned - ``they're gone.'' During interviews with investigators, the father said he woke up at 2 a.m. and found Johnathan floating in the tub and Ella on the bathroom floor.

Police found the apartment bathroom in disarray with wet rolls of toilet paper all around and a towel bar in the tub, Miller said.

Under cross-examination, the detective said it could have been the result of kids playing, but it ``could be consistent with someone trying to cover something up.''

© MMX WWJ Radio, All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to his report.