No contest plea in Harris Township slaying | News, Athletics, Work opportunities

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Gary Phillips-Donovan

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MENOMINEE — A Bark River person has entered a no contest plea to second degree murder in the slaying of his adoptive father in 2019.

Gary Phillips-Donovan, 35, was at first charged with murder open up murder and two counts of home invasion in November 2019, for the beating death of his father, 74-yr-previous Michael Donovan.

Phillips-Donovan pleaded no contest to next diploma murder before this 7 days. The situation experienced been scheduled for a jury trial scheduled for April, but the demo was postponed thanks to coronavirus pandemic.

A sentencing is set for November 5.

Michael Donovan, the was uncovered in the detached garage of his dwelling at W546 US-2/41 in Harris Township on Nov. 19, 2019, struggling from in depth trauma to his head and confront. A forensic autopsy identified Michael Donovan died from blunt power trauma to the head and neck, and the death was homicide.

Gary Phillips-Donovan was later on arrested and charged with Michael Donovan’s loss of life. He has been incarcerated considering that that time.

Phillips-Donovan was sure about to circuit court in the situation in January 2020.

Former testimony from witnesses in Memoninee County courts described functions the day of the slaying.

According to testimony, for Michael Donovan and his spouse, Patricia, Nov. 19 started out as a reasonably typical working day, besides that one particular of their granddaughters, who life with them, stayed residence ill from school.

In accordance to Patricia Donovan, she and her spouse were sitting down at their kitchen table at all-around 11:30 a.m., 12 p.m. EST when their granddaughter Carly Alexander, 9, arrived out and told them that “Uncle Gary” is in hers and Patricia’s room going by means of the drawers wherever Patricia in some cases shops money. Both of those Patricia and Alexander spoke on how Michael Donovan bought up and spoke loudly and sternly with Phillips-Donovan to hardly ever occur to the home unannounced all over again.

According to Patricia, Phillips-Donovan, carrying all black clothes, left the property, then a few minutes later on Michael received up to check on the garage to make guaranteed Phillips-Donovan was not thieving just about anything.

Immediately after awhile, Patricia and Alexander walked to the garage to verify on Michael. When Patricia found her spouse lying on the garage ground with blunt drive trauma to his deal with, she stated she yelled for Alexander to go the dwelling to get her cellphone and walked to the other residence on the house to get her son Henry.

A shovel was discovered following to Michael Donovan’s physique, nonetheless, Patricia recalled that Henry experienced moved it when he put a towel beneath his head though she was on the mobile phone with 911 dispatchers.

A homicide investigation by the Michigan State Police commenced with Phillips-Donovan as the most important suspect.

At all-around 2:08 p.m., dispatchers advised officers that a white truck pushed by Phillips-Donovan was situated at the Oasis fuel station, close to the Island Resort and Casino in Harris Township.

Trooper Kyle Kelley assisted Immel in pulling in excess of the car or truck and getting the five individuals, like Phillips-Donovan, to exit it. Phillips-Donovan was taken into custody.

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