LOCAL COURT UPDATES

Last week’s court news included more arrests connected to the August slaying of a Benton Harbor man as well as numerous sentencings.

The first person charged in connection with the Aug. 15 murder of Nathaniel Lee in Benton Harbor has been bound over to stand trial later this year. Darion Turner, 19, of Georgia faces open murder, felony murder, armed robbery and weapon charges.

Lee was sitting in a parked vehicle at Benton Harbor’s River Terrace housing complex when he was shot late in the evening of Aug. 15. Turner was in the area visiting his father. He is being held on $1 million cash or surety bond.

Since Turner’s arrest, others have been arrested in connection with the incident. They are Antonio Hall, 21, Shuante Hill Jr., 21, and Denzeil Dade, 23, all of Benton Harbor. They face felony murder, armed robbery and felony firearm charges in connection with the incident with bond set for each at $1 million cash or surety.

Hill also faces charges of attempted home invasion, assault with a dangerous weapon and felony firearm in connection with a separate June 18 incident in Benton Township.

In sentencings, a Niles Township man received a long prison term for criminal sexual conduct related charges.

Donald Ray Billingsley, 55, of Lewis Drive in Niles, was sentenced last week in Berrien County Trial court after being found guilty of nine charges after a late July jury trial. He faces a prison term of 25 to 70 years and has credit for 445 days already served. He must register as a sex offender and can no have contact with anyone 17 or under.

The incidents occurred between January 2013 and June 2016. Charges he was convicted of were four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC) against a victim under age 13, one count of third-degree CSC, two counts of second-degree CSC, one count of fourth-degree CSC and one count of distribution of sexually abusive materials.

Also last week, a Benton Harbor man was sentenced to prison after being charged in connection with the death of a NBC Sports employee in 2016. The NBC employee was in the area then to cover the Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores.

Anthony Johnson, 33, of Benton Harbor, was sentenced to 43 months to 15 years in prison for manslaughter for the May 2016 death of Neiko Bernardo, 43, of Oregon. Johnson also was sentenced to 87 months to 20 years in prison for possession with intent to deliver heroin in January 2017.

A Benton Harbor youth arrested in connection with the March assault on a female U.S. postal worker has agreed to plead guilty. The youth who is now 17 was waived into adult court earlier this year.

Matthew Griffis was 16 when the incident occurred. He pled guilty last week to second-degree criminal sexual conduct during the commission of another felony. A charge of kidnapping will be dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

The plea agreement reached between the defense and prosecution calls for Griffis receive a local jail sentence rather than being sent to prison. The agreement is non binding on Judge Sterling Schrock who will sentence Griffis later this fall.