Jury deliberations have begun in the trial for Marshella Chidester, the woman charged in a deadly Swan Boat Club crash in Macomb County that killed two kids.
The defense rested its case on Thursday morning after calling three witnesses to the stand. Then, the prosecution called several rebuttal witnesses to the stand before resting their rebuttal case just after 11 a.m.
During the rebuttal, the prosecution showed several clips of Chidester inside her kitchen the morning of the crash. They also brought forth new witnesses who testified about Chidester buying alcohol the morning of the crash and finding matching bottles in her trash two days after the crash.
In the video, prosecutors say you can see Chidester holding a bottle of wine in the morning and a little over an hour later, her holding a nearly-empty wine glass. More video in the afternoon, prosecutors say, show her holding a glass of wine and refilling an empty glass.
See the latest video of Chidester inside her home in the video below
Both the prosecutor and defense attorney gave their closing arguments on Thursday morning.
See the closing arguments in the videos below
Over the course of the trial, more than two dozen witnesses took the stand, each with testimony aiming to prove that Chidester, 67, was drunk when she drove her SUV straight into the Swan Boat Club, which was hosting a birthday party.
Two kids – 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and 4-year-old Zayn Phillips, were killed when Chidester's car came barreling through the wall.
The defense maintains that Chidester was not drunk and had only one glass of wine that afternoon. However, the prosecution said Chidester was drunk and the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said her blood-alcohol contet was .18, more than two times the legal limit.
During the trial, body camera video was played of Chidester being escorted out of the boat house.
In the video from the Monroe County Sheriff's office, Chidester said she passed out and has had seizures. She also admitted to drinking “a little bit.”
Chidester faces two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death and four counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury.
Watch bodycam videos below:
The defense brought forth witnesses, including the waitress who served Chidester and her friends at 11 a.m. that day, a few hours before the crash. The waitress said there was one glass of wine and a water on her bill.
Chidester's attorney, Bill Colovos, argues that the kit that tested her BAC was not refrigerated after use, and that Chidester's blood started to ferment as a result. The prosecution maintains the kit was handled correctly.
In addition to alcohol, witness testimony from the prosecution showed that Chidester also had gabapentin in her system. The drug is used to treat seizures and nerve pain.
Samantha Beauchamp, a supervisor of the toxicology unit at the Michigan State Police crime lab, said those two together could exacerbate the effects.
The prosecution brought forth 27 witnesses in total and then called a rebuttal witness after the defense rested its case.
