Bride Sentenced for Role in Wedding Night Fatality

A wedding night in Genesee County ended with the death of the best man, prison for the groom—and now probation for the bride, WNEM reports. Prosecutors say James Shirah married Savanah Collier at a Beecher-area pizzeria on Aug. 30, 2024, then hours later ran over his best man, Terry Lewis Taylor Jr., after a dispute at a home nearby. Taylor died at the hospital. Shirah, 24, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and in May was ordered to serve at least 30 years. Collier, who admitted helping Shirah reach a hotel and attempting to distance herself from the scene afterward, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact. Sentenced under Michigan's Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, the 23-year-old received two years' probation; if she completes it successfully, the conviction can be erased, ABC 12 reports.

"She didn't drive the car that killed the man. But she did help her at that time husband try to, you know, get away, cover it up," said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. Leyton said video showing Taylor running down the street before being struck at high speed was key to securing Shirah's plea. He also defended reducing the original first-degree murder charge, saying prosecutors preferred a guaranteed outcome over the uncertainty of a jury trial and potential appeals.