Conviction stands in death of woman who harassed neighbors
GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan appeals court has affirmed the murder conviction of an Ottawa County man who told police that he killed a neighbor on the day after Christmas because she was a nuisance to the neighborhood.
Wendell Popejoy argued that jurors should have been allowed to consider manslaughter as a lesser offense at the 2018 trial. But the appeals court last week said that charge didn’t fit.
The court noted that Popejoy put down his coffee on Dec. 26, 2017, retrieved a gun from his bedroom and shot Sheila Bonge in the back of her head while she was snowblowing in Crockery Township.
“A rational review of this evidence does not support a finding that the killing occurred in the heat of passion,” the appeals court said.
Police said Popejoy put Bonge’s unclothed body on a sled and sent it down a hill behind his house. The appeals court noted that the trial revealed tension between Bonge and neighbors.
“Bonge repeatedly harassed multiple neighbors by name-calling, yelling, ‘flipping the bird,’ trespassing, snowblowing snow onto her neighbor’s driveways ... driving on their grass,” and more, the court said.
Popejoy, now 65, told police at the time that he just “snapped.”
Officials close lot at Grand Haven State Park to deter guests
GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (AP) — Officials have closed the parking lot at a Michigan state park after crowds of visitors ignored social distancing guidelines designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Grand Haven State Park’s parking lot was shut down on Sunday. Mayor Robert Monetza said the city and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources decided to leave the park open but closed the lots to deter crowds.
“We knew that with the nice weather, it’d get busy and so we just knew we would have to keep an eye on it,” said Monetza.
“We really want people to come visit, but our priority here is public health and safety. That’s number one. If we can get people to stay home or closer to home and come here later when it’s safer, that’s what we’re trying to accomplish,” Monetza said.
He said the glorious weather last weekend and on Saturday attracted crowds to the beaches and, while he understands the draw of Lake Michigan, he would prefer people to stay away for now.
“We do have a beautiful town. We love our visitors. But right now we’re asking people, stay closer to home,” Monetza said. “Don’t come here. Just wait until this is over.”
Still, some visitors arrived on Sunday.
“It’s a gorgeous West Michigan day, so we wanted to see what the beach was like,” said Deb DeYoung.
The city has yet to decide when the parking lots will reopen.
About 20 miles to the south, Holland State Park’s lots remained open Sunday, but most people who left their cars were practicing social distancing — staying 6 feet from others — on the beach. A sign at the entrance of the park urged visitors: “Observe social distance.”
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