GUILTY MI - Driver struck/killed retiree to have sex w/ her body, White Pigeon, 20 Feb 2022 *Arrest*

[imstilla.grandma]

Interrogation video submitted as evidence Thursday shows Colby Martin admitting to hitting and killing Melody Rohrer, 64, while she was out for a jog near Oak Shores Campground on Sept. 20, 2021.

Martin also admits in the video to putting Rohrer's body in the back of his black Ford truck, and later dumping it on Purgatory Road by the Three Rivers State Game Area.

Det. Lt. David Walker and Det. Sgt. Kyle Romeo, both with the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, interviewed Martin the day after Rohrer went missing.

The detectives found Martin a day after Rohrer was killed at a Walmart after using phone records to track him, Walker said in his testimony Thursday.

Walker said he sat alone with Martin in an unmarked Michigan State Police car and told him they were looking for a missing woman. Soon after, Walker said Martin told them where she was.

Rohrer had on no underwear or shorts when her body was found, according to investigators.

In the interrogation video, Martin denies removing the clothes or engaging in sexual activity with Rhorer's body.

He also initially denies washing out his car, later retracting that statement.

On Thursday surveillance from Troyer Dirt Buster Car Wash was played in court. It shows Martin washing out the bed of his truck, the tires and the ground.

Det. Andrew Gayler testified to finding bloody paper towels, gloves, underwear, shorts and a used condom in the car wash trash can.

Investigators have previously told News Channel 3 that the condom had Rohrer's and Martin's DNA on it.

Despite these findings, Martin is only charged with open murder. He is not facing a sexual assault charge.

Interrogation video shows White Pigeon man admit to hitting and killing jogger, then moving her body

A White Pigeon man appeared in Van Buren County court Thursday for day three of his murder trial.

wwmt.com

 

[FrostedGlass]

Here is the updated version of yesterday's proceedings; what I posted yesterday is no longer included in the record.

06/08/2023 = JURY TRIAL WHOLE DAY
Comment
ALL PARTIES PRESENT / PROSECUTORS ZUIDERVEEN AND BLAIR / WITNESS
TESTIMONY / ALLOW DOC IMPINE SMELLING SALT MATTER /

 

[FrostedGlass]

Details are sparse:

06/09/2023 = JURY TRIAL WHOLE DAY
ALL PARTIES PRESENT IN COURTROOM / PROSECUTORS BLAIR AND ZUIDERVEEN /
WITNESS TESTIMONY /

 

[Megnut]

I'm sorry I found this thread.

Life sentence for depravity please.

As long as there are people like this, no one is safe.

There are always people like this.

 

[Dpdan]

Why would they not charge him for sexual assault? I don't understand.

 

[Ozoner]

Why would they not charge him for sexual assault? I don't understand.

I'm not sure, either, but maybe the statutes are worded in such a way that he can't be charged with sexual assault since the victim was already dead when he violated her. I would think that he could be charged with something like desecration of a corpse, but I don't really know much about what laws would apply. It isn't something that comes up in conversation every day.

 

[Megnut]

Why would they not charge him for sexual assault? I don't understand.

I'm not sure, either, but maybe the statutes are worded in such a way that he can't be charged with sexual assault since the victim was already dead when he violated her. I would think that he could be charged with something like desecration of a corpse, but I don't really know much about what laws would apply. It isn't something that comes up in conversation every day.

Sadly, as I understand it, there's no law on the books for which to charge him for the SA of a deceased victim.

It just violates every sensibility and decency there is.

This guy is utterly corrupt. LWOP for the homicide isn't long enough...

Jmo

 

[FrostedGlass]

Good news: Guilty on all 3 charges.
Next Hearing
07/31/2023 11:00 AM - SENTENCE HEARING

Count 1
Offense Date: 09/20/2021
Current Charge
HOMICIDE - OPEN MURDER - STATUTORY SHORT FORM (750316-C)
Original Charge
HOMICIDE - OPEN MURDER - STATUTORY SHORT FORM (750316-C)
Officer/Agency or Petitioner
Charge Level: Felony
Attempted, Conspired, Solicited
Arraignment Date: 09/23/2021
Disposition Date: 06/14/2023
Disposition: GUILTY-JURY VERDICT

Count: 2
Original Charge
FAILURE TO STOP AT SCENE OF ACCIDENT - WHEN AT FAULT - RESULTING IN DE (2576173)
Charge Level: Felony
Attempted, Conspired, Solicited
GUILTY-JURY VERDICT

Count: 3
Original Charge
CONCEALING THE DEATH OF AN INDIVIDUAL (33328413)
Charge Level: Felony
Attempted, Conspired, Solicited
GUILTY-JURY VERDICT

 

[FrostedGlass]

Rest easy Melody Rohrer.

Colby Martin was found guilty after 90 minutes of deliberation of first-degree premeditated murder, concealing the death of an individual and failure to stop at the scene of a crash when at fault causing death.
...
Martin is scheduled to be sentenced to a mandatory term life in prison without the possibility of parole on July 31.

https://wtvbam.com/2023/06/16/522840/

 

[Mert]

Man accused of killing jogger to have sex with body gets life in prison

A man who admitted to killing and hitting a 64-year-old jogger and then hiding her body was sentenced to life behind bars on Monday.

wchstv.com

“Colby Martin, of White Pigeon, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on charges of open murder, failing to stop at the scene when at fault causing death and concealing a person's death.”

 

[FrostedGlass]

The end:

Event Date: 07/31/2023
Description: SENTENCE HEARING
Comment
ALL PARTIES PRESENT IN THE COURTROOM / PROSECUTOR ZUIDERVEEN AND
Judge BRICKLEY,KATHLEEN, Attorney MEQUIO,JAMES D.,
Comment
BLAIR / VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT - BROOKE CHAPMAN, JILL, RICK ROHRER

Comment
24 MONTHS TO 5 YEARS WITH MDOC / CREDIT 536 DAYS SERVED / BOND
Comment
86 MONTHS TO 15 YEARS WITH MDOC / CREDIT 536 DAYS SERVED / BOND
Comment
LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE / CREDIT 536 DAYS SERVED / BOND CANCELLED