KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — The jury is deliberating after closing arguments wrapped up Tuesday in the trial of Charles Pickett Jr., who's charged with murder after driving his pickup truck into a group of bicyclists north of Kalamazoo.
After attorneys for both sides summarized their arguments, the case went to the jury for deliberation just before 12 p.m. Tuesday.
Five bicyclists — Debbie Bradley, Melissa Fevig-Hughes, Tony Nelson, Larry Paulik and Suzanne Sippel — were killed in the June 7, 2016, crash on Westnedge Avenue in Cooper Township. Four others were injured.
Top, left to right: Debbie Bradley and Melissa Fevig-Hughes. Bottom, left to right: Tony Nelson, Larry Paulik and Suzanne Sippel. During testimony last week, a friend of Pickett's said he was depressed and that he took a handful of pills before the crash. An expert said there were painkillers, muscle relaxers and meth in his system. Other drivers testified to seeing him driving erratically before the crash and emergency responders said he was disoriented after. A detective who interviewed Pickett said he didn't seem to remember what happened.
Pickett is standing trial on five counts of second-degree murder, five counts of driving while intoxicated causing death and four counts of reckless driving causing impairment.
The defense hasn't denied that Pickett was driving the pickup or that he hit the bicyclists. Its argument is that it wasn't murder.