Marshella Chidester, 66, from Newport, Michigan, is accused of second-degree murder and driving drunk that led to a fatal crash at a birthday party at Swan Boat Club on April 20, 2024.

She was found with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit in Michigan. The crash killed 4-year-old Zayn Phillips and his 8-year-old sister Alanah, and injured more than a dozen others.

Chidester is facing eight charges, including two for murder, and could get life in prison if found guilty.

Her lawyer says she had a seizure, but the prosecution believes her high alcohol level was the main cause of the accident.

Charges Against Marshella Chidester

Marshella Chidester is facing eight charges for a fatal crash at Swan Boat Club.

She is accused of second-degree murder for the deaths of 4-year-old Zayn Phillips and his 8-year-old sister Alanah, as well as charges for driving under the influence of alcohol that led to the deaths of others and serious injuries.

Chidester’s blood alcohol level was over the legal limit in Michigan. The accident happened when her SUV hit the building where a birthday party was happening, killing the children and injuring many others, including their mother and another sibling.

Victims

The sad event at Swan Boat Club took the lives of two young brothers, 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and her 4-year-old brother Zayn Phillips.

Alanah was known as the “princess of the family” and was expected to grow up to experience big events like prom, a ball, or her wedding.

Zayn was seen as a kind young man. Their deaths have deeply affected their family, with their uncle Michael Hatfield sharing how hard it is to deal with the situation, especially since the driver, Marshella Chidester, was drunk and lives nearby.

The community is also sad about the children’s deaths, who were just at a birthday party when they were killed by a drunk driver.

The family is still mourning the loss of Alanah and Zayn, while their mother and another brother are recovering from their injuries in the crash.

Other Victims and Injuries

In a crash at Swan Boat Club, 15 people were hurt, including 3 kids and 6 adults with serious injuries.

The area was very chaotic, with victims taken to nearby hospitals by ambulance or helicopter for immediate medical help.

One person had a serious brain injury, and others had bad physical injuries, showing how bad the crash was.

The injuries were different in how bad they were, with many needing a lot of medical care and help with healing after the accident.

Chidester’s Attorney’s Arguments

At Marshella Chidester’s trial, her lawyer, Bill Colovos, argued that her epilepsy caused her to lose control of her car at Swan Boat Club.

He denied that she was drunk, saying she only had one glass of wine at Verna’s Tavern and showed a search warrant from the bar.

Colovos described the accident as unfortunate but out of Chidester’s control, saying, “This is not a monster… some things we don’t have control over.”

However, the prosecution disagreed, showing that Chidester’s blood alcohol level was very high at the time, which didn’t match Colovos’s story.

Prosecution’s Response

Jeffery A. Yorkey, the prosecutor in Monroe County, disputed Marshella Chidester’s lawyer, Bill Colovos, during her arraignment.

He pointed out strong evidence that Marshella Chidester was very drunk at the time of the crash.

Yorkey mentioned that a test showed Chidester had a blood alcohol level over the legal limit of 0.08, which supports the idea that her being drunk was a major reason for the accident.

Even though Colovos argued that Marshella Chidester’s health issues, like seizures, caused the crash, Yorkey said her high BAC was very important in proving she was responsible for the deaths and injuries caused by the crash.

Surveillance Footage and Evidence

The surveillance footage was crucial in providing Marshella Chidester’s guilt in the fatal accident at Swan Boat Club.

It showed her leaving her house, getting into her car, which then hit a neighbor’s car and sped towards the club, which was close by.

Another video from the club showed her car crashing into the building. There were also videos of Chidester being questioned by a deputy and the chaotic scene after the crash. This evidence was key in showing what happened and why the crash occurred.

The sad accident at Swan Boat Club shows how dangerous drunk driving is and has hurt the community a lot. As Marshella Chidester’s trial goes on, it’s a reminder that we need tougher rules to stop these kinds of crashes.

The death of Zayn and Alanah Phillips has made people very angry and shows that we need to hold drivers responsible and drive carefully.