Prior conviction not allowed in Stislicki case
The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled that a kidnapping, assault and attempted rape conviction against the man suspected of killing Danielle Stislicki can’t be used as evidence in his upcoming trial.
In a recentlyreleased, unpublished opinion, appellate court Judges Mark Cavanagh, Kathleen Jansen and Douglas Shapiro said there aren’t strong similarities between details about Floyd Galloway, Jr.’s conviction for an attack at a Wayne County park and allegations in the Stislicki case to demonstrate motive as the prosecution believes. The
judges’ decision affirms a ruling by Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Phyllis McMillen, who had said a jury could be unfairly prejudiced if allowed to hear about the other case.
Assistant Attorney General Scott Shimkus had sought a reversal from the
higher court, in conflict with Galloway’s defense attorney Ellen Michaels who said the prosecution was attempting to use the conviction based on speculation in the Stislicki case.
In their decision, the appellate court judges described dissimilarities in the two cases, such as the jogger was a stranger, believed to have been chosen randomly by Galloway who tried to force her to a
secluded spot. In the Stislicki case, Galloway was her acquaintance who allegedly deceived her by faking car trouble to get her to take him to his home. The appellate court judges also said the prosecution was relying on physical characteristics of the jogger and Stislicki, rather than have enough evidence to establish a similar motive. Stislicki was a 28-year-old Farmington Hills resident
who went missing Dec. 2, 2016. Her body has not been found. Galloway was a former security guard at a MetLife building in Southfield where Stislicki worked, and was the last known person seen with her. Prosecutors believe that on the day Stislicki went missing, Galloway created a ruse about car trouble in the MetLife parking lot to get a ride from her. They ended up at Galloway’s house in Berkley, based on video surveillance and cell phone evidence. Also, Stislicki’s DNA was found in Galloway’s bedroom near a piece of carpet that had recently been replaced. Galloway is serving a 16-35 year prison sentence for the attack on a female jogger in Hines Park, three months before Stislicki vanished. He was sentenced in December 2017. A trial date for the Stislicki case is pending.