GRATIOT COUNTY Redman to stand trial on murder charge

The case against Corbin James Redman, who is charged with killing his 11-year-old sister Addison on Aug. 20, 2019, is headed to circuit court trial.

The decision was made Thursday by Gratiot County 65th District Court Judge Stewart Mcdonald following the conclusion of a preliminary hearing.

Redman, 16, has been charged with open murder. Also, at the request of Prosecutor Keith Kushion, a felony firearms charge has been added.

If convicted, that charge would require Redman to serve a mandatory two-years in prison prior to beginning any other sentence.

However, because he was under the age of 18 when the crime took place he cannot be sentenced to life in prison without parole if found guilty, Mcdonald explained.

After noting “both sides were well prepared,” the judge said after reviewing the case presented by the prosecution that “it appears more likely than not that a homicide was committed by Corbin.”

Defense attorney Joshua Blanchard had argued the case should be dismissed because police did not do a thorough investigation or even look seriously at the possibility someone else could have committed the crime.

He also had said during his closing arguments that the evidence presented was also inconclusive regarding his client.

“What if it was someone else is just speculation,” Mcdonald said.

During a preliminary hearing a judge can consider not only direct but also circumstantial evidence, he added.

“This is not a trial,” Mcdonald said in rendering his decision. “We’re not deciding guilty or not guilty of a crime. He’s still presumed innocent.

“There’s enough probable cause that a crime was committed and probable cause that the defendant did it.”

After the prosecution had called eight witnesses during the first day of the preliminary hearing, which occurred June 8, the defense only called one on Thursday.

That was Annalise Eckhoff, a Level 1 forensic scientist who works in the Trace Evidence Department of the Hamilton County, Ohio coroner’s office who testified via Zoom.

She is the person who conducted tests that found gunshot residue on Redman’s T-shirt, which he was wearing the day of the shooting and confiscated by deputies.

Although traces of gunshot residue were discovered on the shirt there were also other types of iron particles detected.

Blanchard asked Eckhoff if it was possible the substance found could have come from automotive brake pads.

She said it “was possible” but only 119 iron particles

were found when you would normally expect to see thousands of iron particles” if the residue had come from brake pads, she explained.

Blanchard raised the question because Redman’s grandfather, Tyler Haase, is co-owner of an Alma automotive repair shop and he was the

first to arrive at the murder scene.

Blanchard also brought up the fact that the T-shirt was first sent to the Michigan State Police Crime Lab where samples also had been taken.

“I’m not sure what was done there,” Eckhoff said.

But that testimony wasn’t enough to sway Mc

Donald’s opinion.

The case will now go before 29th Circuit Court Judge Randy Tahvonen.

Blanchard entered a plea of not guilty for his

client and requested a jury trial.

An Aug. 17, Circuit Court arraignment was waived but a trial date has not yet been set.