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MONROE COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - The trial date for Marshella Chidester, the woman who slammed into a Monroe County boat club and killed two children while allegedly drunk, was set Friday morning.
She's due in Monroe County Circuit Court on March 3, 2025.
Marshella Chidester
Chidester, 67, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death, and four counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury for the April 20 crash at the Swan Boat Club that killed 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and 5-year-old Zayn Phillips.
Her blood alcohol level was .18, more than double the legal limit in Michigan, according to blood test results read during a preliminary exam. Chidester was bound over for trial in June.
During a hearing Friday, a judge gave prosecutors until Jan. 10, 2025 to respond to several motions filed by Chidester and her attorney this week. These motions included a request to move the trial to another court and a request for a hearing to discuss evidence she wants dropped from the record. This includes statements she made before she was read her Miranda Rights removed from evidence. According to court records, she has requested an evidentiary hearing to address that matter.
After the prosecution responds, another hearing will be held on Jan. 17, 2025.
After the crash, Chidester was seen on police body camera footage speaking to a Monroe County Sheriff's deputy.
After the crash, Chidester told deputies that she had drunk some wine earlier in the day. She also said that she has seizures and takes medication for the condition.
"I thought I was driving up to the boat club, and evidently I was driving right into the building," she told the deputy while being questioned after the crash.
What happened
According to video shown previously in court, Chidester left her home next to the Swan Boat Club and hit a neighbor's vehicle before speeding through the club's parking lot. She crashed through the wall of the building while a children's birthday party was being held, hitting numerous people who were celebrating.
In addition to killing Alanah Phillips and Zayn Phillips, the crash injured more than a dozen people.
A deputy testified that she smelled like intoxicants and failed several field sobriety tests.
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Driver in deadly Swan Boat Club crash to stand trial
Marshella Chidester appeared in court on Thursday in connection to the fatal Swan Boat Club crash. Her blood alcohol level was .18, more than double the legal limit in Michigan, according to blood test results read in court.
Despite this, before the BAC was released, her attorney Bill Colovos argued that she was not drunk. According to Colovos, Chidester has been suffering from seizures since November, takes medication for the condition, and needed to stop driving for several months last fall due to seizures.
Chidester also told investigators she had no memory of the crash.
"There was no intent by my client whatsoever," Colovos said during Chidester's preliminary exam earlier this year.
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