PITTSFIELD TWP., MI — A recent court hearing has shed light on a chilling incident involving a fatal shooting and kidnapping that claimed the lives of a foster mother and her father in Northfield Township. According to police testimonies, three individuals have been implicated in the violence that erupted on New Year’s Day.
During the preliminary examination, Detective Sgt. Jason Roberts of the Northfield Township Police detailed how Keith Lamar Finley, 61, encountered the alleged orchestrator of the attack, 42-year-old Shuvonne Vinson, just days before the incident in a Detroit house known for illegal activities. According to Roberts, Finley was enlisted by Vinson under the pretense of payment for his participation in what would escalate into a deadly assault.
The court has charged Finley and another suspect, 37-year-old Gregory Dwight Callhan, with multiple felonies including two counts of open murder, along with charges related to kidnapping, assault, and home invasion. Both men, alongside Vinson—who is currently undergoing psychiatric evaluation—allegedly invaded the rural home of Jennifer Bernhard, 48, and her father, Stevie Ray Smith, 74, leading to their fatal shootings.
The assault also severely injured Jennifer’s husband, Jeffrey Bernhard, who testified that Vinson personally shot him. Despite sustaining critical injuries including the loss of sight in one eye, Jeffrey was able to escape and summon help. The traumatic episode further extended to the kidnapping of two young girls from the home, one of whom is the biological daughter of Vinson.
During the court proceedings, divergent narratives emerged from the defense teams of the accused. Callhan’s attorney, Rita Young, argued that her client was not involved in the shootings directly, claiming that Vinson acted independently and that Callhan was elsewhere in the house when the murders occurred. Meanwhile, Wendy Barnwell, representing Finley, contended that her client was unaware of any plans to commit murder, suggesting a lack of intent to participate in the killings.
Judge J. Cedric Simpson, presiding over the district court, decided to advance the felony cases to the Washtaw County Trial Court, signaling a complex trial ahead that will further probe the depths of each defendant’s involvement. Additional charges of armed robbery have also been added to the indictments against Finley and Callhan.
The case has drawn attention to the broader issues of gun violence and the safety of foster families, whose addresses are typically kept confidential. The court pondered why the young girl was spared in the attack, with Judge Simpson commenting on the possible remnants of a moral boundary that prevented the child’s murder.
Looking ahead, both men are set to reappear in court on June 25 before Washtaw County Trial Court Judge Patrick Conlin Jr., while Vinson’s competency hearing is scheduled for May 22. As the community reels from the shock of the New Year’s Day tragedy, the impending trials promise to unveil more about the circumstances leading to this harrowing crime and the psychological profiles of those involved.