Jones brothers'
murder trial gets started
By
Ken DeLaat
The
trial of Matthew and Paul Jones for the murder of Shannon Siders was set to begin on
Monday, April 20, with two separate juries deciding the fate of the brothers charged with
first degree murder.
The
trial is being held at the Newaygo County Courthouse in White Cloud.
Missing
for more than three months, the body of 18-year-old Shannon Siders was found by a hunter
in the Manistee National Forest near Thornapple and M-82 in Brooks Township in October of
1989.
Paul
and Matthew Jones were arrested this past June after a cold case team working the unsolved
crime sifted through evidence and spoke to several people involved, then brought forth
enough information to move forward. The brothers have been held without bond at the
Newaygo County jail since then.
“It’s
my hope the decision turns out to be the one we’ve been looking for,” said Bob
Siders, Shannon’s father, who has waited these 26 years to see justice done.
“If
they’re acquitted,” Bob Siders said, “there’s nothing I can do, but if
they’re found guilty they’ll spend their lives behind bars. That would be
justice, but it doesn’t change anything. It won’t bring Shannon back, I’ll
never have grandchildren, but they have been walking around free for 25 years”
“Like
I said, it doesn’t change anything, but justice will have been served.”
“I
have every confidence in the cold case team and the work they did to get to this point,”
he added. “And I really appreciate the work of David Schock who made the documentary
“Into the Dark” about Shannon’s murder. I think that helped get the case
moving.”
The jury for Matt Jones consists of 10 men and four women. The Paul
Jones jury includes six men and eight women. Two members of each jury will serve as
alternates, and 12 members of each jury will decide on the verdicts.
Circuit
Court Judge Anthony Monton is presiding over the trial.
Everett Township
Turbo caps career
with a found child
By
R.C.Wheater Sr.
Like
Ted Williams hitting a home-run in the final plate appearance of his illustrious career,
Newaygo County’s four-pawed police officer capped his career with a memorable
performance last week.
Turbo,
the Newaygo County Sheriff Department’s veteran canine officer, tracked down a lost
toddler on Tuesday evening, April 14.
According
to a report from the sheriff’s office, sheriff deputies and Michigan State Police
troopers were dispatched at approximately 6:30 p.m. to a residence in Everett Township
near Spruce Ave. and 40th Street, responding to a report of a missing two-year-old boy.
Family
members had been searching for the boy, and police officers joined the search but were
unable to locate the child.
Turbo
and his partner, Dep. Phil Green, were called to the scene and were told that the boy’s
direction of travel was unknown.
After
some preliminary searching of the area, Turbo headed into the woods, following a scent
that led him, 500 to 600 yards later, to the missing two-year-old. Police officers quickly
returned the boy to his family.
Turbo
and Green have worked together for nine years and are credited with dozens of successful tracking and drug detection efforts. Because of his age, Turbo
is scheduled to retire soon and Dep. Green is scheduled to be assigned a new dog.
“K9
handlers train very hard all year long, in all kinds of weather and environments,”
said Sheriff Pat Hedlund. “Deputy Green is no exception. That training pays big
dividends in a situation like this where a young child is found and returned to their
families safe and sound. As a former K9 handler for many years, I can attest to the
abilities of Deputy Green and Turbo. When
Turbo retires, his presence on the streets of our county will be missed. I am very proud of Phil and Turbo.”
The
Sheriff also noted that, because of the success and value of the K9 program, he hopes to
add a second dog to the department. He said that a public fund-raising effort is expected
to help offset the cost of the program and the purchase of the second dog.
Photo by Ken DeLaat
Laurel Breuker has been the Newaygo County Clerk for 20 years.
County Clerk Laurel Breuker to retire
By
Ken DeLaat
It
was April of 1995 and the nation was reeling from the bombing of the federal building in
Oklahoma City. Joe Montana announced his retirement from football, and Howard Cosell,
Ginger Rogers and Burl Ives each passed away.
It
was also when Judge Terrence Thomas appointed Laurel Breuker to take on the post of
Newaygo County Clerk that had been vacated by Morey Butler’s retirement. She became
the first woman to hold the office since its inception in 1851.
“I
can’t believe it’s been 20 years,” said Breuker, who recently announced her
plan to retire from the position as of April 30.
She
started working in the clerk’s office, moving to the Board of Commissioners office as
secretary and to circuit court as Deputy Clerk before assuming the reins of her current
office. After 20 years and five re-elections, she has witnessed immense changes during her
tenure.
“The
technology has been the single most profound change in how we do our business,” she
said.
The
county clerk’s office maintains birth and death records, marriage licenses, assumed
business names and partnership certificates, concealed weapons permits, veteran discharge
records, public meeting minutes and voter registration records.
The
County Clerk is also the chief election
official of the county, supervises all national, state, local and school elections, and is
responsible for the administration of the Michigan Campaign Finance Reporting Act. The
clerk is also responsible for maintaining
civil, criminal, domestic, custody and support and personal protection order files for
circuit court.
“When
I started,” Breuker said, “nearly everything was done by hand. Each month I
would take apart the huge reference books and add by typing in the names, book and pages
to be found.
“Now
for most records we can pull it up on computer and print what’s needed right from our
desk.”
Her
office is filled with symbols of her love of her country, including a collection of
patriotic-themed jigsaw puzzles.
She
has been active in the Michigan Association of County Clerks, including serving as
President of the organization in 2005 and being named Clerk of the Year in 2006.
Through
it all, she has remained steadfast in her desire to serve. During her first term, she
promised to visit each of the 24 townships and cities of the county at least once a year
for their meetings. She said that she has kept that promise for 20 years.
“It’s
so important to be accessible to the local government entities, to be able to communicate
the never ending changes we encounter to the officials on a personal level.”
Her
plans for retirement?
“I’m
moving to the Grand Rapids area where I can be closer to my children and grandchildren,”
she said. “I want to be able to attend the soccer games, school concerts, all the
things I love being a part of in the lives of my family.”
She
was asked what she will miss the most.
“The
people. I have a great staff here and will miss them dearly. I’ve also been fortunate
to meet some good friends during my years here whose friendships I highly value.
“Most
of all, I want to thank the people of Newaygo County for the honor and privilege of
serving them. We have such good people here and I have met some truly wonderful ones.”
An
open house to celebrate the years of service Laurel Breuker has provided to the citizens
of Newaygo County will be held on Thursday, April 30 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in the county
commissioners’ meeting room at the County Administration building in White Cloud.
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