The murder trial of Jaylin Brazier, who is charged in the death of his teenage cousin from Eastpointe, began on May 7.
Brazier is accused of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in connection with the January 2022 disappearance on his 17-year-old cousin, Zion Foster. Brazier had previously confessed to throwing Foster’s body in a dumpster, but insisted he was not responsible for her death.
Brazier also previously claimed that he was smoking marijuana with Foster the night she allegedly died. Brazier claims his cousin suddenly had trouble breathing and died while at his home. He confessed to leaving her body in a Highland Park dumpster, and served 10 months in jail for lying to police.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office has since charged Brazier with the actual murder of Foster, whose body was never found. A significant amount of evidence is expected to be revealed during Brazier’s trial, which could last a few weeks, officials said.
Below is all of the witness testimony offered at Brazier’s trial. This list will be updated as the trial progresses.
Day 1 - Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Witness 1: Ciera Milton, mother of Zion Foster
Part one
Part two
Part three
---> Previously: Mother delivers powerful statement at sentencing for cousin who lied during search for Eastpointe teen
Witness 2: Vertez Gonzales, boyfriend of Zion Foster
Gonzales was dating Foster at the time of her disappearance. They had been dating for less than a year, he said.
Witness 3: Katrina Smith, girlfriend of Jaylin Brazier
Smith was the girlfriend of Brazier at the time of Foster’s disappearance. Smith lived with Brazier and has three children with him. Smith was dropped off at work the night that Foster allegedly went to Brazier’s home and subsequently died.
Day 2 - Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Witness 4: George Rienerth, FBI special agent
Rienerth is a special agent with the FBI, and is part of the agency’s cellular analysis survey team. Rienerth walked the court through cellular data related to the case.
Witness 5: Ian Reinhold, Eastpointe police detective
Reinhold is a detective with the Eastpointe Police Department. Reinhold was part of the team investigating the missing persons case of Zion Foster after she was reported missing in January 2022.
Witness 6: Brian Showers, Eastpointe police detective
Showers is a detective with the Eastpointe Police Department. He was part of the team conducting surveillance of Brazier and his vehicle.
Witness 7: Jayson Chambers, FBI special agent
Chambers is a special agent for the FBI. He serves as an investigators and works with the evidence response team based out of Detroit, which collects and documents evidence at crime scenes.
Witness 8: Eli Bowers, FBI special agent
Bowers is a special agent with the FBI’s Detroit office who serves, in part, as an assistant team leader for the evidence response team. Bowers served as a crime scene photographer during amid the investigation of Brazier.
Witness 9: David Yount, Michigan State Police
Sgt. Yount is an assistant unit commander with MSP’s canine unit. Yount’s canine team searched Brazier’s vehicle, and a trained dog gave a positive indication for human remains in the trunk.
Witness 10: Shannon Jones, Detroit police sgt.
Sgt. Jones is a police officer assigned to the homicide and missing persons department at the Detroit Police Department. She was one of the law enforcement members to interview Brazier.
Part 1
Day 3 - May 9, 2024
Sgt. Jones took the stand again the next day to continue her testimony.
Part 2
Witness 11: Beatrice Terrell, Michigan State Police
Terrell is a homicide detective with the Michigan State Police. She is a member of the homicide task force and works alongside the Detroit Police Department. She was part of the investigation into Foster’s disappearance.
Witness 12: Adam Ayriss, FBI special agent
Ayriss is a special agent with the FBI at their Detroit office. He’s a member of the Detroit-based evidence response team with the FBI, and participated in the search of Brazier’s vehicle.
Witness 13: Mikehl S. Hafner, Michigan State Police
Hafner is a forensic scientist for the Michigan State Police in their biology unit at a Metro Detroit lab. Hafner’s unit specifically examines body fluid.
Witness 14: Erica St. Clair, Michigan State Police
St. Clair is a forensic scientist in the DNA unit of the Michigan State Police’s Grand Rapids lab.
Witness 15: Steven Ford, Detroit police
Ford is a police officer with the Detroit Police Department. He’s a certified video technician with the homicide unit.
Day 4 - May 10, 2024
(Court began late, in the afternoon, on this day)
Witness 17: Shaliah Howard
Shaliah Howard, a neighbor of Brazier’s, took the stand at his trial. She had a surveillance camera set up in a window in her home that was looking out at the street and other homes. That footage was provided by Howard to Foster’s mother, Ciera Milton.
Witness 16: Robert Lalone, former police lieutenant
Robert Lalone was a member of the Detroit Police Department at the time of Foster’s disappearance. He was a lieutenant assigned to the major crimes unit.
Lalone was responsible for taking Brazier’s statement.
Witness 17: Christopher Chojnacki, jail telecom technician
Chojnacki is employed by a telecommunications organization for “facilities with incarcerated individuals.” He is a site administrator at the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and jail.
Chojnacki fulfilled a request to pull seven phone recordings that involve Jaylin Brazier while Brazier was incarcerated. He was asked about such calls, and some were played during his testimony.
Witness 18: Liza Moyer, intelligence analyst
Moyer works for the Michigan Department of Corrections as an intelligence analyst who investigates internal and some external crime. Moyer was also asked about phone calls that involved Brazier while he was incarcerated.
Witness 19: Lance Sullivan, Detroit police sgt.
Sullivan is a sergeant with the Detroit Police Department.
Part one
Day 5 - May 13, 2024
Sgt. Sullivan took the stand again to continue his testimony on Day 5.
Part two
Witness: Shannon Jones, Detroit police sgt. (Part 3)
Jones was recalled as a witness on May 13. She was first introduced as the 10th witness on May 8, and also answered questions on May 9.
Sgt. Jones is a police officer assigned to the homicide and missing persons department at the Detroit Police Department. She was one of the law enforcement members to interview Brazier.
Witness 20: Felicia Jackson, forensic technician
Jackson is a forensic technician for the Detroit Police Department’s crime scene services unit. She was part of the team that helped search a landfill for Foster’s body.
Witness 21: Ian McBee, Detroit police
McBee is a police officer with the Detroit Police Department who was working as a member of their fugitive apprehension team in 2022. McBee was part of the team ordered to apprehend Brazier.
Witness 22: Eugene Bomber, Detroit police sgt.
Bomber is a sergeant with the Detroit Police Department who is a member of the fugitive apprehension team.
Witness 23: Jarmiare McEntire, Detroit police sgt.
McEntire is a police sergeant with the Detroit Police Department who serves as the supervisor of the homicide task force. Involved in the investigation, McEntire placed two cellphones into evidence after Brazier was arrested.
Witness 24: Sarah Markel, Detroit homicide detective
Markel is a detective in the homicide unit at the Detroit Police Department. She specializes in phone extractions, which is a copy of everything that exists within a cellphone, using software.
Part one
Day 6 - May 14, 2024
Detective Markel took the stand again to continue her testimony from the day prior.
Part two
Witness 25: Courtanee Stieg, Detroit Police Department
Stieg is a forensic analyst with the Detroit Police Department who focuses on forensic analysis of cellular call detail records and telemapping. She was asked about phone communications while Brazier was at the Macomb Correctional Facility.
Witness 26: Dr. Leigh Hlavaty, Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office
Hlavaty is a forensic pathologist who works as an assistant examiner at the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office. Hlavaty helped answer questions and offered opinions related to Foster’s case.
Witness 27: Erik Franti, Detroit Police Department
Franti is a detective with the Detroit Police Department who works in the cyber crimes unit.
Part one
Day 7 - May 15, 2024
Witness: Erik Franti
Franti, a Detroit detective, took the stand again the following morning to continue his testimony from the day prior.
Part two