BERLIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A Monroe County woman will stand trial for murder after allegedly crashing into a child’s birthday party while drunk.
Marshella Chidester is accused of driving under the influence and crashing her vehicle through a child’s birthday party at the Swan Boat Club in April, killing two young children and injuring 11 other people.
A judge ruled Thursday, June 27, she will stand trial on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating under the influence of liquor causing death and four counts of operating under the influence of liquor causing serious injury.
The 66-year-old lived next door to the boatyard in Berlin Township, just off Lake Erie. Surveillance video from Chidester’s own home captured her leaving on the day of the crash, carefully walking down the stairs before slowly, unsteadily and deliberately walking toward her car. After getting in the vehicle, the video shows her backing out of her driveway and out of frame, where she hit her neighbor’s truck in the neighbor’s driveway before speeding off to go to the birthday party.
Prosecutors argued the video shows that Chidester left her home not fully in control before driving her car through the boat club wall.
A neighbor heard the crash and ran to the Swan Boat Club, where they recorded cell phone video of a mother and two children pinned under Chidester’s vehicle inside the building and injured people strewn across the room.
The vehicle was reportedly driven 25 feet inside the building.
Those at the scene were able to find the strength to move the SUV off the two children, but it was too late. The two killed were identified as 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and her brother, 5-year-old Zayn Phillips.
While Chidester said she only drank a little bit that day, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said her blood alcohol level was more than double the legal limit at the time.
The defense claims she only had one glass of wine on the day of the crash and that Chidester had a medical emergency that caused the crash.
The trial is expected to begin July 12. If convicted, Chidester faces the possibility of life in prison.