After studying that Thomas and Raymond Highers had been discovered responsible of murdering Robert Karey, legal professional Kevin Zieleniewski realized he had no selection however to pursue authorized motion on their behalf. When Robert was murdered, Kevin was residing in Detroit, Michigan, and he recalled that his former roommate John Hielscher had talked about being within the space on the night time of the tragedy. Kevin additionally recalled that Robert’s homicide had been mentioned by John. The viewers is taken by means of the grotesque homicide and given info relating to how Kevin and John had been engaged within the investigation through the course of “Dateline: Commencement Night time.” Let’s examine the circumstances surrounding the murder and see if we will work out the place Kevin and John are in the intervening time, lets?
Kevin Zieleniewski
Who Are Kevin Zieleniewski and John Hielscher?
On June 26, 1987, a shotgun was used to kill Robert Karey, a widely known drug vendor within the metropolis of Detroit, Michigan. Karey was shot at shut vary with the shotgun inside his own residence. Throughout this time interval, Kevin was attending legislation college in Detroit. He and his roommate on the time, John Hielscher, used to share a room. Kevin discovered not lengthy after Robert’s homicide that his roommate had been on the sufferer’s residence on the night time in query as a way to get some marijuana. This info got here to Kevin not lengthy after Robert’s loss of life. Nevertheless, John defined that simply as they had been able to ask for the drug, they observed a gaggle of black individuals, which included two people armed with firearms, method the again door of the home. John stated that they determined to not ask for the drug. At that time, they determined to desert their preliminary intention to get medicine and as an alternative make a hasty exit. John and his buddies had been making an attempt to get away after they heard two thunderous blasts from a shotgun. After that, there was full silence. Nevertheless, neither John nor Kevin reported what they witnessed to the authorities through the authentic inquiry into the homicide. As an alternative, they saved their observations to themselves.
Within the meantime, a 3rd eyewitness named Thomas Culberson got here ahead and said that he noticed two white males fleeing the scene of the crime instantly after the homicide happened. A person by the identify of Jamie Lawrence got here ahead and stated that he had overheard somebody named Thomas Highers speaking about robbing and killing Robert Karey. This supplied the police with a further obvious breakthrough of their investigation. Jamie additional stated that each Thomas and his brother Raymond Highers owed the sufferer cash, which supplied them with a motive for homicide. Raymond Highers was named because the alleged perpetrator of the crime.
As quickly because the authorities took Thomas and Raymond Highers in for interrogation, each of them asserted that they had been harmless and claimed that that they had nothing to do with the incident. Nevertheless, Thomas Culberson selected Raymond out of a photographic lineup and asserted that he was the one who was visibly noticed fleeing the scene of the crime. Raymond was the one suspect that Culberson was capable of determine. In consequence, the police had been capable of make an arrest of the Highers brother and cost them with first-degree homicide, assault with the aim to homicide, and possession of a firearm through the fee of a felony. The eyewitness testimony had been very clear. After being introduced earlier than the courtroom, Thomas and Raymond initially entered not responsible pleas, however they had been finally discovered responsible of all costs. As a direct consequence of this, within the 12 months 1988, they had been every given a sentence of life in jail with out the opportunity of launch for first-degree homicide, along with a number of additional years for his or her prior convictions. After that, the courtroom wouldn’t reverse the convictions irrespective of what number of petitions or motions had been filed in opposition to them.
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The place Are Kevin Zieleniewski and John Hielscher Right this moment?
In 2009, Kevin Zieleniewski turned concerned within the case after studying in regards to the incident in a submit on Fb. The submit described how Thomas and Raymond had been discovered responsible of the crime. He took word of the truth that the 2 people held in custody had been white, however he was sure that John, his roommate, had talked about different armed people who had been black. After that, Kevin gave John a name and tried to influence him to testify in help of the brother. The episode states that John had preliminary reservations about testifying however ultimately got here to the conclusion that he ought to communicate up for what he believed was proper. They introduced the protection legal professional for the Highers brothers with the proof that that they had gathered, and that legal professional swiftly filed a movement for a brand new trial.
On the listening to for the movement, each John and one other individual named James Gianunzio testified that that they had seen armed black males method Robert’s door earlier than the shotgun went off. John’s testimony was corroborated by the testimony of one other particular person named James Gianunzio. Ultimately, based mostly on the testimony, the choose determined to permit a retrial, and though Tomas and Raymond Highers had been launched on bond in 2012, the prosecution finally determined to desert the case in 2013, which resulted in them being acquitted of all costs.
Regrettably, ever since then, John Hielscher has chosen to guide a lifetime of seclusion and maintains a low profile on social media, which makes it tough to establish his location at the moment. Then again, Kevin Zieleniewski seems to name Washington, District of Columbia, his dwelling at the moment, and he’s nonetheless lively within the authorized occupation. It’s probably that the readers will discover it fascinating to be taught that Kevin has even been a visitor on the present “Dateline,” the place he has mentioned his involvement in aiding the Highers brothers in expunging their legal information.
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