A Michigan woman was arraigned Tuesday on second-degree murder and other charges after prosecutors say she drunkenly crashed her SUV into a boat club that was hosting a child's birthday party, killing a young brother and sister and injuring several other people.
Marshella Chidester, 66, did not enter a plea to the eight counts she faces in Saturday's tragic crash at the Swan Boat Club in Monroe County, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Detroit.
During a court hearing that was live-streamed, Chidester’s right arm was in a cast from just above the elbow to her fingers.
She has been jailed since the crash, and the judge set her bond at the $1.5 million prosecutors requested after relatives of some of the victims asked him to set it at that level.
In arguing for the $1.5 million bond, prosecutor Jeff Yorkey told the court that Chidester has had substance abuse issues that were corroborated by her friends and family.
Defense attorney Bill Colovos asked the judge to set Chidester's bond at $100,000. He said she only had a glass of wine and a bowl of chili four hours before the crash and that she had suffered since November with “epileptic-type seizures in her legs.”
“This is not a monster, ” Colovos said. “It's horrible what happened, but there are some things we don't have control over.”
Colovos added that prior to Saturday’s crash, Chidester had no traffic tickets or police record.
Yorkey responded that there was no indication that Chidester suffered a seizure before the crash and that testing showed her blood alcohol level was “significantly over the legal limit.”
If Chidester posts bond, she will be required to forfeit her passport, have no alcohol, wear a tether, and not drive. A probable cause conference has been scheduled for April 30, followed by a May 6 preliminary examination.
Chidester is a former commodore at the boat club, The Detroit News reported.
The crash killed 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and her 4-year-old brother, Zayn Phillips, the sheriff's office said. Their mother and another sibling were among the injured.
It's unclear whose birthday was being celebrated.
Raquel Smouthers told the court that she was at the party and witnessed the deaths of her nephew and niece.
“They were sitting at that table eating, and this woman crashed her car through this building, destroying all of our lives," a nearly inconsolable Smouthers said. "Nobody should ever have to go to a birthday party thinking that they’re gonna die.”
The dead children's mother, Mariah Dodds, is suing Chidester and the tavern where she reportedly was before the crash, according to a Detroit law firm representing Dodds.
Dodds suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung, cuts, and bruises, the law firm said. Her surviving son suffered broken legs, broken ribs, and a fractured skull.
The boat club, located off Swan Creek near Lake Erie, is a membership-based organization that hosts holiday parties and other events and provides docking space for members who own boats, according to its website. The club also advertises on social media that members can rent the clubhouse or pavilion for personal events, including birthday parties.
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