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Day by day: Stennett, Rembish and Jones on display

by brianna Owczarzak Editor in Chief

Four days of trial yields wait for verdict


2, Stennett saw people outside. Soon after, gunshots were fired through the door. Back at the party down the road, people awoke to the nearby banging, thinking shots were fired there. Someone who lived at the house then noticed a .45-caliber handgun, which was later found to be the murder weapon, was missing.

The Delta Collegiate

The defense ended their the sidewalk in front of her of the murder weapon. opening argument at 9:50 am., house. Allen said she could Day Three: Thursday, Dec. after which the prosecution be- only see their eyes and that she The first four days of trial for two gan bringing in witnesses. was 98 percent sure they were 1. - At the beginning of the trial the men charged with allegedly murFehrman called Laura Plank, dark-skinned men because she defense asked for a mistrial because dering Delta honors student Sean 20, a friend of Stennetts to the couldnt make out any other fa- statements by some witnesses exStennett were ripe with emotion as pressed excited utterance and hearstand. Plank was with Stennett cial features. prosecutors and defense attorneys at a nightclub in Saginaw just That question about Allens say. tried to ferret out for jurors the truth Judge Borchard denied the mominutes before he was mur- identification in her initial stateabout who did the killing. dered. ment to police caused the De- tion. Steven Rembish, 36, and JonaThe prosecutors key witness, While Fehrman was question- fense to argue that the killing thon Jones, 23, stood trial for the ing Plank, Ellsworth objected to duo couldnt be Rembish and who is dating Rembishs niece, testideath in Saginaw County Circuit F e h r m a n Jones, because Rembish is light- fied on this day that indeed, the murCourt beginning der weapon was his.. using the skinned. Nov. 29. By the I woke up and I went to grab term murAllen went on to testify that she end of the week, der. saw one of the people raise their my gun and it wasnt there, which fell on the Whether hand, and thats when Stennett the witness said. I got a couple one year anniveryour clients threw her to the ground, saving phone calls from Steve and Jon sary of the date of (Rembish and Jones) and they are guilty her from the shots. the murder, all beyond The next witness was the doc- told me they shot somebody with the witnesses had my gun. a reason- tor that did Stennetts autopsy. been heard and The witness testified that the able doubt, His cause of death was multhe only thing theres no tiple gunshot wounds, testified next day Rembish came up to left was closing doubt that Medical Examiner Kanu Virani. him, gave him a high-five, and arguments. said smeddler down. Smedsomebody He had six gunshot wounds. The Collegiate was murThe next witness was the resi- dler was a name they used for covered the trial dered, Bor- dent of the house hosting the par- child molesters. They still didnt and held its press chard said, ty Rembish and Jones reportedly know it was Stennett who was until the date of shot, not the molester they inover-ruling attended. issue, Monday, Ellsworths She said after she heard gun- tended to kill. Dec. 5. The trial They (Rembish and Jones) objection. shots, she heard someone say, is scheduled to said they tapped on the window, F e h - They killed that motherf***er. Photo by Ronny Latimore continue Dec. 6. rmans next The witness testified that she saw someone in there and fired Rembish and Jonathon Jones (left), Steven Rembish (center), and Remwitness was didnt come to police sooner be- through the door, he said. They Jones are charged bishs attorney Kirk Ellsworth (right), sit before Circuit Court Kaiti Allen, cause she was afraid. Following said they did it because he was a with first-degree Judge James Borchard. the friend the incident, her house was van- child molester from Steves girlpremeditated S t e n n e t t dalized, her dogs were stolen, friends past, the witness said. murder. If the two defendants are The witness testified that the A friend of the defendants was visiting at the time of his and she was threatened. found guilty, they will face life in Rembishs niece also testified defendants wouldnt tell him prison without the possibility of pa- soon ran back inside the house murder. yelling: They killed that Stennett was only at Allens that Rembish acknowledged which one of them was the shootrole er, because motherf***er, Fehrman said. apartment a few Some of the witnesses in this stothey said About 15-20 minutes after the minutes before ry are not identified at the request of if nobody the prosecutor and in order to pro- murder, the owner of the miss- the shooting ock n o w s ing gun , received a phone call curred, Allen testect their safety. then nofrom Jones. Jones explained that tified. body can they used his gun in a murder Sean grabbed Day One: Tuesday, Nov. get in trou29 - The trial began with jury se- and hes not getting it back, but me and threw ble for it. they will reimburse him for it, me to the ground lection starting at 8: 30 am. The witFehrman said. and thats when Circuit Court Judge James ness was When they realized they got I heard gun Borchard ordered Steven Remafraid he Allen bish, 36, and Jonathon Jones, 23, the wrong guy... Mr. Rembishs shots, would get r e s p o n s e said. It was like to be shackshot for was: I I could hear them led by their Whether your clients talking to guess we (bullets) hitting ankles durare guilty beyond a reathe police. made a Sean. ing the He told the sonable doubt, theres mistake, oh After the gun trial after police I well, Feh- shots, Allen said no doubt that somebody Rembish just killed rman said. she heard footthreatened was murdered. myself, Fehrman steps running up to steal Photo by Ronny Latimore James Borchard after givended his her porch. The Saginaw ing his opening argument at 9:35 am, at shooters tried An exhibit showing the apartment on Hancock where Sean County Sheriffs Deputy Jennistatement which Rembishs attorney, Kirk to come into the Stennett was murdered is shown to the jury during the trial. fer Garrisons knife to escape. to them Ellsworth, began. door but Stennett back in Day Two: Wednesday, Theres an allegation that held it shut with March. this is a revenge killing, Ells- his feet. She then woke up her committing the shooting. Nov. 30 - At 8:52 a.m., Saginaw For testifying in this trial, the He said he was going to man County Assistant Prosecutor worth said, continuing to make roommates and had them call up to his mistake, she testified. witness was granted immunity in Paul Fehrman started the pros- two key points: that everyone in for help. the defendants group of friends The 911 call came in at 2:38 He wasnt going to let anyone any charges related to Stennetts ecutors opening argument. death by Borchard. knew where the .45-caliber was, am. else go down for what he did. On the night of Dec. 1, 2010, and that no evidence shows Before the shooting Stennett She also testified to a letter that Rembish and Jones were at a Day Four: Friday, Dec. party two houses away from the who took the gun or when. He asked Allen if she was expect- Rembish sent her while hes been also claimed Rembishs fianc ing company because he heard in jail. The letter said people were 2 - One of the prosecutors first murder scene, Fehrman said. going to go after her boyfriend witness was Lieutenant RonHe believes that after every- has a history of psychological a knock, Allen testified. problems. She went and looked out of because it was his fault that ald Crichton, firearms and tools one went to bed they plotted To those points, Rembish her front doors window and Rembish and Jones were locked manager for the Michigan their murder. saw two people standing on up. Her boyfriend was the owner In the early morning of Dec. nodded his head in agreement.

by brianna Owczarzak Editor in Chief

Sean Stennetts last night: trial tells the tale


two neighborhood party-goers on a drunken, murderous rampage, allegedly seeking revenge on some other man. At the trial, witnesses testified that Steven Rembish and Jonathon Jones picked Allens apartment thinking it would lead them to a man they called Big B. He allegedly molested Rembishs fianc when she was a child. Are you expecting anyone? Allen remembers Stennett asking as he heard a knock on the door. Allen then looked outside to see two men standing in front of her porch. One of the men raised their arm, holding a gun, when Stennett yelled, What are you doing? She testified that she noticed a scratch on Rembishs hand the morning of Dec. 2 and asked him about it. Rembish told her that him and Jones had been running through peoples yards and jumping fences to get home quick. In Rembishs fiancs statement, she told police Rembish and Jones killed Stennett because they thought it was the guy who molested her when she was a child. He didnt tell me anything, she said, denying her earlier statement. The alleged child molester lived a block away from the house where Stennett was murdered. Rembishs fianc said the detective who interviewed her changed her whole statement. This is wrong, youre all wrong, she yelled at Fehrman. I dont agree to nothin you guys got here. Fehrman mentioned a letter to Rembishs fianc that Rembish had sent her apologizing for putting her through all of this, and Fehrman asked her if Rembish should be apologizing. Yes, I wouldnt be here if he just kept his ass at home, she said. The last witness to testify that day was Detective Andrew Carlson. During Carlsons testimony, Fehrman played the interview video between Carlson and Rembishs fianc. In the video, Rembishs fianc said she knew when she saw the news about Stennett being murdered, that Rembish and Jones were involved. The video confirmed her earlier statement to police and showed her court testimony was inconsistent with her earlier recollection. Sean grabbed me and threw me to the ground. Thats when I heard gunshots, Allen said. Its like I could hear them (bullets) hitting Sean. Allen heard footsteps up her front porch. The door tried to open three times and Sean held it shut with his feet, Allen said. Allen then ran and woke up her two roommates and had them call for help. The police received the call at 2:38 am. Witnesses at the house where Rembish and Jones had been visiting just two doors down, testified that they woke up to the gunshots. The resident of the house noticed his .45-caliber handgun was missing. Rembishs fianc testified that Rembish told her him and Jones had been running through peoples yards and jumping fences to get home fast. She lived 0.7 miles from Allens apartment. The prosecutor s key witness testified to Jones calling him at 2:56 am, telling him that Rembish and he just killed somebody with his gun. Rembish and Jones were charged with first-degree premeditated murder in Sean Stennetts death on March 4, 2011. The jury is expected to decide Rembish and Jones fate the week of Dec. 5.

Sean Stennett spent Dec. 2 of 2010 surrounded by familiar people at a nightclub on Hamilton Street, just down the road from the Red Eye Caf, where he worked. He retired for the evening to his friend Kaiti Allens apartment on Hancock Street, expecting a peaceful night of rest. But the night would be anything but peaceful. It would be his last. The night ended with Stennetts bloodied body lying on Allens bedroom floor, riddled with six deadly bullet holes. His murder trial, which began Nov. 29, unfolded the story of that fatal night when Stennetts life collided with State Police. His job is to see if specific bullets came from a specific gun. Every firearm has microscopic imperfections that make each firearm unique, Crichton testified. Its like each gun has its own fingerprint. Crichton confirmed that the cartridge cases collected from the scene were fired from the .45-caliber gun that the police obtained. He also confirmed that the bullets collected at the scene were from a .45-caliber but couldnt be for certain that it was that exact one. The next witness that Fehrman called to the stand was Detective Timothy Fink with the Saginaw Police Department. Fink testified on the phone records of Rembish and Jones from Dec. 1, 2010 to Dec. 3, 2010. Phone records confirmed that Jones called the key witness at 2:56 a.m. on Dec. 2. The phone records also showed that Jones called Rembish at 11:55 p.m. onDec. 1. Jones didnt make phone contact with Rembish again until 4:26 a.m. on Dec. 2. The phone records also showed that throughout the day during Dec. 2, Rembish and Jones exchanged phone calls eight times. While the detective reviewed phone records, both defendants looked less composed than they had earlier in the trial. Jones inched closer to the edge of his chair. Rembishs fianc also took the stand that day. She testified to being molested as a little girl. She also said that Roberto Rodea, a friend of the defendants, was the only person she ever told. Rembishs fianc dated Rodea in middle school and showed him what house Big B lived in.

Courtesy Photo

Delta student Sean Stennett was killed in an apparent case of mistaken identity.

Trial: Continued from page 4.

Website calls Saginaw nations worst hood


NeighborhoodScout.com reports Saginaw as having the highest crime rate in America, including violent and property crime, and says its the worst place in the country to live. The statistics the real estate company uses are reportedly drawn from FBI crime statistics, thugh Saginaw city officials have told local media outlets some calculations including population counts, are listed inaccurately. Saginaw native Steven Krueger thinks that the websites profile sounds reasonable. Its easy to forget, but Saginaw can get pretty bad, he said. ts not uncommon to know someone who has been robbed or had their house hit by a robber.

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2012 Michigan Community College Press Association Judging Form


Place of award: First Place Second Place Third Place Honorable Mention

Category: In depth reporting Headline/title of entry: Four days of trial yields wait for verdict Contestants name: Brianna Owczarzak College name: Delta College Judges comments: Youve done a good job of covering this case thoroughly and of gathering interesting details. I think the story would have been stronger if youd allowed yourself to step back from the chronology of the trial itself and synthesize what happened, lead with the most compelling details, draw readers into a story so that they want to read to the end.

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