WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – The three charged in the double murder of a foster family in Washtenaw County are expected to appear in court on Wednesday.
Shuvonne Vinson, Gregory Callhan and Keith Finley were charged in connection with the murder of Jennifer Bernhard, 48, and Stevie Smith, 74, and the attempted murder of Jeffrey Bernhard, 53, on Nollar Bend Road in Northfield Township on Jan. 1, 2025.
They are also accused of kidnapping the family’s 10-year-old daughter and their 4-year-old foster daughter.
They are expected to appear in court on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 1:30 p.m. for a motion hearing. The defense attorneys requested separate trials for all three suspects.
Here’s what to know about the case:
What happened
On Jan. 1, 2025, at around 8:30 p.m., two people were killed, another was injured, and two children were abducted from the Northfield Township home.
Jennifer Lyn Bernhard, 48, and her father, Stevie Ray Smith, 74, both of Northfield Township, were killed in the shooting. Bernhard’s husband, 52-year-old Jeffrey Bernhard, was also shot. He has recovered.
Jennifer and Jeffrey were fostering Vinson’s biological daughter, and neighbors told Local 4 in January that the couple had been hoping to adopt the little girl.
Charges against suspects
Vinson, Callhan, and Finley all face the following charges and face the possibility of life in prison.
- 2 counts of open murder.
- 1 count of assault with intent to murder.
- 1 count of home invasion in the first degree.
- 2 counts of kidnapping -- child enticement.
- 1 count of conspiracy to commit murder.
- 1 count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping -- child enticement.
- 1 count of conspiracy to commit home invasion in the first degree.
- 1 count of carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent.
- 1 count of stolen property -- receiving and concealing a motor vehicle.
- 1 count of felony firearm.
Vinson is facing an additional seven charges:
- 4 counts of assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer.
- 1 count of carrying a concealed weapon.
- 1 count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
- 1 count of possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.
Finley faces an additional count of possession of a firearm by an ineligible person.
Previous coverage:
Previous court outbursts
Since her arraignment in early January, Vinson has disrupted court hearings by interrupting the judge, attorneys and testimonies. She has been escorted out of the courtroom during her preliminary examination and left the Zoom call during her arraignment.
--> ‘Deserve to die’: Woman charged in Washtenaw County double murder, kidnapping goes off during court
Finley and Callhan did not have outbursts or were escorted at any point in their hearings; however, Finley did try to hide himself from the media when his preliminary hearing began.