Kevin Lavern Bluhm, 47, a sergeant at the West Shoreline Correctional Facility in Muskegon, could face up to four years in prison if convicted. Prison officials said they suspended Bluhm without pay on Friday.
In an affidavit obtained by 24 Hour News 8, Michigan State Police said they were interviewing Bluhm on May 18, the day after they arrested Willis in the kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl who managed to escape by jumping from a moving vehicle.
Records show the interview with Bluhm at his home was part of the investigation into the then-unsolved 2014 death of Rebekah Bletsch. She was shot to death with a .22-caliber handgun while jogging near her home in northern Muskegon County.
MSP said Bluhm lied to them in that first interview, saying he hadnt seen Willis since July 2015 and that hed never seen him with a handgun.
Despite that alleged lie, Willis was later charged with Bletschs murder.
Last week, in a follow-up interview, Bluhm admitted he had seen Willis last month and that Willis that day showed Bluhm a 22-calibur pistol, according to the documents.