The two suspects in Sunday’s homicide in Ypsilanti remained in the Washtenaw County Jail Wednesday without being arraigned on charges as the investigation into the case continued.
The two suspects in the homicide at Peninsular Place Sunday remain in jail Wednesday and have not been arraigned.
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The 20-year-old man and 20-year-old woman arrested after the death of John Lawrence, 46, Sunday night at the Peninsular Place apartments were scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon, according to jail records. Magistrate Colleen Currie arraigned several people accused of crimes Wednesday afternoon, but the two 20-year-old suspects were not among them.
Washtenaw County Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Steven Hiller said Wednesday the case was still under investigation.
“No one will be arraigned today on charges arising out of this incident,” Hiller said in an email.
The man and woman were both arrested Sunday night after police responded to the Peninsular Place apartments. Raven Lawrence, the victim’s daughter, told AnnArbor.com she was in an argument with the woman because her boyfriend was living at the apartment without a lease. She called her father to come help her because she did not feel safe.
John Lawrence gave his daughter his handgun and told her to take it to his car. By the time she returned to the apartment, the door was locked, Raven Lawrence said. When she entered the apartment with police, her father was dead.
Police believe the two 20-year-olds killed John Lawrence during the argument. It’s been confirmed that John Lawrence was hit in the head with a frying pan, but Detective Joe Yuhas said Tuesday blunt force trauma might not be the cause of death.
The final autopsy and toxicology reports won’t be ready for a few weeks, and police would not speak more about the potential cause of death Tuesday. Yuhas did not return a message left by AnnArbor.com on Wednesday.
Typically, a suspect arrested without a warrant is arraigned within 48 hours. However, Michigan law only states that “every person charged with a felony shall, without unnecessary delay after his arrest, be taken before a magistrate or other judicial officer.”
Yuhas told AnnArbor.com Tuesday the case would be turned over to Washtenaw County prosecutors on Wednesday morning for potential charges. No warrant was filed for the man and woman in the Washtenaw County Trial Court early Wednesday afternoon.
AnnArbor.com is not identifying the two suspects until they are formally arraigned on charges.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.