CALEDONIA, Mich. - The son-in-law of a Kent County couple has been arrested in connection with their deaths, but he has only been charged with assaulting an officer.
Nathan Board, 33, is accused of punching an officer investigating the homicide. The Tuesday assault led to felony charges.
Board was arraigned Thursday, Sept. 6, for fleeing police custody and resisting/assaulting police for the incident in the area of Cherry Valley Avenue and 92nd Street SE in Caledonia Township, court records show.
The assault occurred while two Kent County deputies were transporting him for questioning related to the beating deaths of his in-laws.
According to court documents, Board was in the back of a cruiser when he told police he needed to vomit. Once he got out the car, Board took off into traffic as officers chased after him. Kent County Sheriff's Dept. Sgt. Dennis Albert caught up to Board and got him out of the road before Board punched him in the face in an attempt to get free.
Board is being held on a bond of $1 million for the felony charge of obstructing an officer. The prosecutor has not issued charges for the double homicide.
Undersheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young said her department released Board's name prior to the filing of formal charges in hopes of calming the fears of people living in the area of the double homicide.
Ted and Patty Syrek were found dead about 11 a.m. inside their home near Caledonia on Tuesday, Sept. 4. Police were performing a welfare check after the couple's daughter in Arizona called police and expressed concern that she had not heard from them in several days. The Syreks were found dead in their bedroom; an autopsy determined they died from blunt trauma to the head.
Board had been married to the Syrek's other daughter, Sarah, since 2016, but family members say the two were separated. Board had a previous run-in with the law back in 2004 when he fled police, which led to him serving 18 months on probation.
Around the same time, his dad tried to have him committed to Pine Rest hospital, after Board showed signs of extreme mood swings and physical aggression, court records show. Board's father wrote that he felt threatened by his son after both physical and verbal abuse.
In the petition, Board's father wrote: "He has gone off his medications and is refusing any counseling. He is not sleeping or eating properly or caring for his physical needs."
He is due back in 63rd District Court for the obstructing charges on Sept. 19 at 9:30 a.m.
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