Man convicted of killing 3 people as juvenile in Oakland County waives right to new trial

'Monsters do exist,' Kvam said

PONTIAC, Mich. – A man who has been in jail since he was 17 years old after being found guilty of raping and murdering a woman, a teen age girl and a 9-year-old girl in Oakland County in July of 1984 was inside a Pontiac courtroom Friday afternoon.

The 52-year-old convicted killer, Michael Kvam, faced a judge for possible re-sentencing after the courts considered overthrowing his previous sentence. He appeared via monitor in court Friday.

“First let me begin by express how sorry I am to the victims' family,” Kvam said.

Police said Kvam raped and murdered Chasity Bray, Wendy Lovell and Joann Bray on July 7, 1984. 

Orbin Bray and Ann Bray said they will never forget that day.

“I walked in at 4 in the morning and found my 9-year old baby girl stabbed 27 times, my wife 15 times and he cut my niece so bad that I couldn’t pick her up and take her to the hospital,” Orbin Bray said. 

“I was in shock for a very long time,” Ann Bray said.

Almost 35 years later, a court considered changing Kvam's life in prison conviction because he was a juvenile at the time of sentencing.

On Friday, Kvam waived his right to another trial.

“Monsters do exist. The best thing that could have happen to me after birth was to throw me in the Mississippi River. In fact, me spending the rest of my life in here, is way better than I deserve,” Kvamsaid. 

“He is a monster. Everything you teach your kids about monsters, he was on the screen today,” Orbin Bray said. 

A judge decided to uphold the previous ruling. Michael Kvam will spend the rest of his life in prison without parole. 


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Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.