Michigan woman charged in fatal Swan Boat Club crash found guilty
A woman who was on trial for the deadly Swan Boat Club crash last April in Monroe County, Michigan, has been found guilty on all charges.
Marshella Chidester faced multiple charges, including second-degree murder, in connection with the deaths of 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and 4-year-old Zayn Phillips. Chidester was also charged with two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death and five counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury.
In addition to the fatalities, there were several people injured that day.
Jurors handed down the guilty verdict on Thursday after two hours of deliberation.
Police say the two children were attending a birthday party on April 20, 2024, at Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township when a vehicle crashed 25 feet into the building.
The trial began Monday at the Monroe County Courthouse.
The prosecution rested its case Wednesday after hearing testimonies from investigators, witnesses and the mother of the two children killed. The defense presented its case and rested Thursday morning.
Prosecutors argued that Chidester was drunk at the time of the crash, and presented witnesses who claimed that they smelled alcohol on her. Investigators testified that tests showed Chidester's blood alcohol content was 0.18, more than twice Michigan's legal limit of 0.08. However, the defense questioned the validity of a blood draw on the day of the crash, claiming that the blood wasn't shaken enough after it was put in the vials to activate the preservative.
Closing arguments were presented just before the court's lunch break Thursday, and the case then went to the jury.
