KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Nearly three years after six people were shot and killed in the Kalamazoo area, accused killer Jason Dalton will stand trial.
Dalton is charged with six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder for the shooting spree on Feb. 20, 2016. Police said the now-48-year-old suspect shot the victims between picking up riders for Uber.
Jury selection will begin Thursday, Jan. 3. Opening statements are scheduled for the following Monday. The trial was originally scheduled for June of 2017, but proceedings were delayed over statements Dalton made to police after the shooting.
Investigators said Dalton confessed to the murders, claiming a devil popped up on the Uber app and took over his body. The trial was delayed after Dalton’s attorneys asked for the comments to be suppressed, arguing he repeatedly asked for a lawyer during questioning.
In April 2017, a Kalamazoo County Circuit Court judge ruled that only some of Dalton’s statements to police were admissible. The Michigan Court of ruled last July that all of Dalton’s statements should be suppressed.
The trial is expected to last about two weeks, according to Kalamazoo Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Getting.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.