DEARBORN, Mich. – The Michigan Court of Appeals has overturned murder convictions and ordered a new trial for a man accused of killing two people who worked at a Family Dollar store in Dearborn.
The court said Lavere Bryant's trial was spoiled by testimony that wasn't relevant to the charges against him.
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He was accused of killing Joseph Orlando and Brenna Kathleen Machus, both 20, who worked at the Family Dollar store off Michigan Avenue near Outer Drive on July 16, 2013.
Orlando's body was found in the store while Machus' body was found nearby in a wooded area. Bryant was a former co-worker.
During the trial, jurors heard about Bryant's prior convictions, his sex offender status and viewing of pornography. The appeals court said the testimony was "highly distracting" and not related to the slayings.
The 3-0 decision by the court of appeals to overturn the convictions was released Wednesday. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said it will appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court. The court's full opinion is available below.
What happened
Workers arrived at the Family Dollar to find the place trashed.
Police were called and Orlando's body was found in the store. Machus, the assistant manager, was missing.
Orlando had been shot and killed. He had only been working at the store for a week.
A manhunt for the killer began as police searched for Machus in hopes that she was still alive. Machus’ body was found two days later in a wooded area less than two miles away near the Southfield Freeway and Michigan Avenue.
Surveillance video showed a person of interest waving his arm as he entered the store. He had a hood over his head and his face was never clear. Tips started pouring in after the images were made public.
Police said Bryant went into the store, shot and killed Orlando in the bathroom and abducted Machus from the stock room. He then shot her and dumped her body, according to police.
Sources told Local 4 Bryant had a crush on Machus and that he had sent harassing letters to her home.
Bryant’s past
In 1999, Bryant pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He was sentenced to jail time and probation and had to register as a sex offender, according to a court filing and the Michigan State Police.
Two years later, Bryant was locked up on an assault charge. He was transferred to the Ionia Correctional Facility in 2011 from a prison in Marquette and was released days later, according to Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman John Cordell. The records office at the Ionia prison neglected to change Bryant’s address on the sex offender registry.
When Orlando and Machus were killed, Bryant was still listed on the sex offender registry as being in prison. Had law enforcement been aware that Bryant was released, he would have been require to report to a police agency every July and January. Bryant, who is to be listed as a sex offender until 2057, never reported, which would have triggered police to begin looking for him.
