Witness ties 5th suspect to Oak Park jeweler murder case

A cooperating witness in the fatal shooting of Oak Park jeweler Daniel Hutchinson testified he was in contact with the latest suspect charged in the case before Hutchinson was killed June 1, 2022.

Witness Darnell Larry, 58, of Detroit is the cousin of the accused shooter, Roy Larry, 45, of Detroit.

Darnell Larry made a plea deal with prosecutors in 2022, pleading guilty to solicitation of murder.

Three suspects have already been ordered to stand trial — attorney and alleged mastermind of the murder-for-hire plot Marco Bisbikis, 38, Angelo Raptoplous, 33, and Roy Larry.

But a fifth suspect, Phillip Sumpter, 59, of Ohio, was quietly arraigned on a charge of conspiracy to murder in November 2023.

His name came to light Feb. 7 after the Tribune reported his appearance in court that day for a hearing.

Sumpter’s preliminary hearing before Oak Park 45th District Judge Michelle Friedman Appel got underway Thursday with Darnell Larry as the only witness.

Oakland County Chief Litigator John Skyrzinski presented Larry with multiple Facebook video chats and texts that showed him communicating with Sumpter months before Hutchinson was killed.

The communications indicated Sumpter was in the metro Detroit area and tracking Hutchinson and his wife Marisa before the slaying.

Larry said he met Sumpter on Eight Mile Road at one point in April 2022 before the killing. Skrzynski pointed out a text from Sumpter about the Hutchinsons being at a building in Livonia.

“He was just telling me the location was across the street from a police station and it was sending (Sumpter) on a suicide mission,” Larry testified.

“The next morning you text him ‘thanks, bro,’” Skrzynski said, “Then you send (another text saying), ‘You can only try.’”

Daniel Hutchinson was in an SUV with his wife Marisa in front of a former Pay Beny pawn shop

they had just purchased, about a mile from the Hutch’s Jewelry on Greenfield, when he was fatally shot.

His wife escaped being hit by any of the multiple shots fired.

Bisbikis was the trustee of a will for the couple and prosecutors have portrayed him setting up the hit job so he could get their money.

Skrzynski in court Thursday asked Larry if he talked to Sumpter on Aug. 17, 2022 about trying to kill Marisa Hutchinson.

“Yes, sir,” Larry said, agreeing that Sumpter had told him to “get the hell away from those people,” referring to suspects Bisbikis and Raptoplous.

Larry testified he felt bad because he brought Sumpter into something he didn’t want to be involved in.

Defense attorney Melissa Krauskopf pointed out that as a cooperating witness, Larry had never mentioned Sumpter during multiple conversations with police and prosecutors as he worked out his plea deal.

“Mr. (Roy) Larry committed a crime with a gun you gave him,” Krauskopf said, and Darnell Larry agreed.

Darnell Larry appeared uneasy and hesitant in court. Both Skrzynski and Judge Appel had to remind him to speak louder.

Skrzynski and Krauskopf are expected to give their closing arguments when Sumpter’s preliminary exam resumes at 1 p.m. April 11.