OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – An 83-year-old man has been resentenced to life without parole in connection with the 1962 murder of an 11-year-old Oakland County girl, officials said.
James Gostlin was resentenced in Sixth Circuit Court on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, according to a release from the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.
Recommended Videos
The resentencing follows a Michigan Supreme Court ruling that found mandatory life without parole sentences unconstitutional for defendants who were 20 years old or younger at the time of their crimes. Gostlin was 20 when the crime occurred.
Previous coverage --> Prosecutor: 79 young adults who got life in prison in Oakland County need new sentences, per ruling
According to court records, Gostlin attacked Wesley Husted with a hammer in 1962 while attempting to steal his car.
When 11-year-old Shirley Husted intervened to help her father, Gostlin hit and killed the child with the hammer. Prosecutors said he then kidnapped and sexually assaulted Shirley Husted’s mother.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald acknowledged the impact of the resentencing on the victim’s family.
“My heart is with Shirley Husted today,” McDonald said. “She was just 11 when she was taken from her family. This process has forced her loved ones to relive this horrific tragedy, and their pain should never be forgotten.”
The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said it is reviewing all life without parole sentences involving offenders who were 20 years old or younger at the time of their crimes, as required by the Supreme Court decision. They are seeking life sentences in the “most egregious cases.”