(WXYZ) — The woman who crashed into the Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township last year, killing two kids and injuring others, has been sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.
Marshella Chidester crashed her vehicle into the Swan Boat Club in April 2024 while a children’s birthday party was going on inside.
Chidester was found guilty on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death and five counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury.
See video as the jury reads the verdict in the video below:
Alanah Phillips, 8, and 4-year-old Zayn Phillips, were killed when Chidester's car came barreling through the wall. Their older brother and mother were also injured.
On Thursday, family members delivered impact statements about the aftermath of this tragedy.
Watch Brian Phillips, father of 2 kids killed in Swan Boat Club crash, give impact statement:
“A chapel guy came on my corner and I, I dropped straight to the ground. I started screaming because I knew they was gone,” said Brian Phillips, father of the victims, during his impact statement.
“The only time I feel close to them is being at their gravesite, 'cause I don't feel them anywhere else.”
He added, "I hope every day that you realize what you took from us."
The victims' mother, Mariah Dodds, also delivered an emotional impact statement in court.
"The grief I carry is something I will live with for the rest of my life," Dodds said.
Watch Mariah Dodds talk about her children and the impact of the crash:
Dodds described her now-quiet house and the memories of her kids at every turn.
"No matter what I do, the pain is constant... I feel their absence in every corner of my life," she said.
"There are many good memories, but it hurts more than anything living in something that once was full and perfect."
Dodds also talked about the physical pain and injuries she and her son Jayden endured.
Chidester then spoke after the impact statements.
Watch Chidester speak in court below:
"That was a terrible, terrible tragedy. I can't help but say I'm so very, very sorry for the loss of your children," Chidester said.
The judge handed down the sentence Thursday just before 4 p.m., saying "this wasn't just an accident, it was a crime."
A jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching a verdict in this case.
“I feel like the jury got this one right on all counts. I believe that she deserves to be where she’s at. My babies can finally rest peacefully. This is what we’ve been waiting for,” Phillips said.
Hear more from their father in the video below:
"We appreciate everything the jury did here today. We think they did a phenomenal job in evaluating the evidence," Monroe County Prosecutor Jeff Yorkey said in a press conference after the verdict was read.
Hear more from the prosecutor in the video below
What happened during the trial?
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.
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 content 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.”
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.
