DETROIT – A judge ruled there is enough evidence to bind over a man after a victim testified he was repeatedly struck with a hammer inside a Detroit home, where police later discovered three men dead in the basement.
Lance Clowney was charged with assault with intent to murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with a crime on Edsel Street, near the location of the recent triple homicide investigation. He has not been charged in connection with the discovery of the three bodies.
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He appeared in court on Wednesday, March 11, for his preliminary examination, where he was bound over to circuit court, where he could stand trial.
The decision came after testimony about the Feb. 17 attack.
The first person called to testify was the man who was attacked at the home.
The victim said the attack happened in the evening on Feb. 17 when his nephew dropped him off at the home after work. He said he knocked several times before the Clowney opened the door.
The victim testified that someone inside the house asked who it was, so he told the person his name, the door was unlocked and he stepped inside.
He said Clowney, who was holding a hammer, closed the door after he walked in.
After the victim took a few steps inside, he said Clowney hit him in the back of the head with a hammer.
The man testified he was hit in the head at least four times and struck repeatedly on the hand as he tried to hold a bedroom door closed. He estimated the attack lasted about 10 to 15 minutes.
After the blows stopped, the victim left through the front door and went to a friend’s home down the street.
He said he did not initially contact police or go to the hospital but sought medical care the next day and later spoke with investigators.
Detroit police Det. Chase Malloy, who is the officer in charge of the case, said he was called to the home on Feb. 18 after officers responding to a missing person report entered the house and found three men dead in the basement.
The officers made entry into the home after the assault victim approached and told them about what happened to him the day before.
When Malloy arrived at the home, he said he found blood throughout the house, and he also found three men were dead in the basement with what appeared to be blunt force injuries, and one had stab wounds.
The detective also said that a couple of the people connected to the home were known to be drug users based on the information they received.
Detroit Police Sgt. Reginald Beasley also testified during the hearing and discussed interviewing the Clowney after he was arrested.
At one point, the defense attorney asked if his client was kept in a cell with a toilet that didn’t work and got backed up.
The sergeant said that Clowney had urinated and defecated on the floor of his own cell.
Beasley said that, outside of the condition of the cell, nothing seemed unusual when he was questioned about Clowney’s mental state.
During one interrogation, Clowney acknowledged fighting with the victim on the day of the attack. According to Beasley, the defendant claimed the victim struck him first before hiding in a bedroom.
Clowney also admitted to having confrontations earlier that day with the three men who were later found dead in the basement.
After that, the judge determined that there was sufficient evidence to bind Clowney over to circuit court, where the case will move forward and potentially reach trial.
Clowney’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 18.