John Jefferson
Inset clockwise from top left: James Douglas Shirah (Flint Police Department), Terry Lewis Taylor, Jr. (GoFundMe), and Savanah Nicole Collier (Flint Police Department). Background: The area near where Taylor was killed (Google Maps).
A wedding day dispute turned deadly for one member of a wedding party in Michigan late last month, police in the Wolverine State say.
The groom, James Douglas Shirah, 22, stands accused of one count of murder in the second degree, according to Genesee County court records. The bride, Savanah Nicole Collier, 21, has been charged with one count of accessory after the fact to a felony.
Now, the recently-married couple face the prospect of a long honeymoon behind the bars and walls of prisons and jail.
The incident occurred sometime late in the evening on Aug. 30, according to a press release issued by the Flint Police Department.
At around 8 p.m. that night, officers responded to “a reported pedestrian injury crash” on East Hamilton Avenue near Lewis Street — a dilapidated area a few blocks due east of the Flint River, and the formerly expansive factory sites of the early 20th-century automotive industry, many of which are now parking lots and weed-run fields.
At the scene of the crime, police found Terry Lewis Taylor, Jr., 29, suffering from severe wounds. He was rushed to nearby Hurley Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The deceased man’s obituary remembers him fondly.
“He loved fishing since birth, riding bikes and four wheelers,” the eulogy reads. “Terry enjoyed immensely his music, his children, his family and friends, his dog Kodiak and eating some good food. It was always important to him to have clean teeth and some cologne on.”
At the time of his death, Taylor unwillingly left behind his own bride-to-be, three children, and another child in the womb.
A GoFundMe started by his widow for funeral expenses reads:
My fiance was murdered on August 30th 2024. He was only 29 years old. He leaves behind 3 children and I am currently Pregnant. We (myself and his family) are trying to give him the burial that he wanted and deserves. He was an amazing person so many people love him. This was completely unexpected and alot of lives are effected by this loss. If anyone could donate anything helps even if it’s only a dollar or two.
Details about the intervening hours and days are scarce, but in quick fashion, law enforcement blamed the newlyweds for Taylor’s death.
On the same day he died, Taylor “had attended a wedding as a groomsman,” police said. Sometime after the nuptials, however, the victim was “involved in an argument” which resulted in him being “intentionally struck by a large SUV.” The vehicle was going extremely fast and being “driven by the groom,” law enforcement claim.
Police did not elaborate on their theory about the bride’s alleged culpability after Taylor was allegedly struck and killed by the SUV.
Both defendants were arrested and arraigned earlier this week.
Notably, the police department appears to have misspelled Collier’s first name as “Savahna,” while court records reflect the spelling “Savanah.” Multiple media outlets deferred to the police spelling or did not consult court records.
Law&Crime repeatedly reached out to the Flint Police Department for additional details on this story but no response was immediately forthcoming at the time of publication.
Shirah is currently being detained without bond, court records show. He is next slated to appear in court for a probable cause determination hearing on Sept. 12. Collier was released on Wednesday after posting a $1,000 surety bond. She has a hearing on Sept. 12, as well.
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