The Floyd Galloway trial announced a significant delay on Monday (June 13). Galloway is the man charged with murdering Danielle Stislicki.
The question everyone is wondering about is evolving around key evidence, and will it be admitted in the case?
I spent the day in court Monday listening to both sides fight for and against a tip given in the case, which led to Stislicki’s keys and Fitbit findings.
But the question is, was that tip handled the right way?
Read: Judge hears arguments on Floyd Galloway lie detector test; Trial delayed until November
Galloway walked into court not knowing if evidence connected to an admission he reportedly made to the man who conducted his lie detector test would be admissible in court.
“The tip read in quotes the security guard did it,” said Farmington Hills Police Detective Robert Garrett. “He drove the victim’s car to the house in Berkley, from his house in Berkley to her apartment, then walked to Tim Hortons at 10 and Halstead where he called Shamrock Cab or something like that to where he received a ride within walking distance to his work where his car was parked.”
Galloway’s defense told the judge that the tip from Galloway’s polygrapher was said to the Troy Police Chief Gary Mayer. Mayer then called the Farmington Hills Police Chief Chuck Nebus, who said that was actually privileged information.
“So, in your mind, it was pretty important to determine the source of this tip,” asked the defense.
“Yes,” Garrett said.
“Knowing that Chief Nebus is the one who took the phone call, did you go back to Chief Nebus and say, ‘hey chief, what else can you tell us about the caller,’” the defense said.
“Yes,” Garrett said.
“And what did he say,” asked the defense.
“He said everything that’s in the tip is what he knows,” Garrett said.
Galloway’s defense attorney told the judge that police failed to properly document the source of the tip and used that tip to obtain search warrants.
“It’s our position that there has been a long-term and widespread campaign to keep information from the defense,” the defense attorney said.
The prosecution said that nothing was obtained from those search warrants, and the police did their job in filling out all the necessary paperwork related to the case.
In the meantime, Stislicki’s parents sat in the courtroom watching it all unfold, just hoping the trial that was supposed to start next month would still start.
But Monday’s conflict caused a delay, and now Galloway’s murder trial has been moved to Nov. 28, which will be about six years since Stislikci went missing.
I talked to Stislicki’s parents after court, and they didn’t feel like talking on camera. They were devastated that there was another delay in this case.
The next hearing about this tip and the collected evidence will be on June 24.
I’m told whatever side loses is planning on appealing.