Woman Accused In MI Birthday Party Crash Denied New Trial Location

BERLIN TOWNSHIP, MI — A woman accused of driving drunk and slamming her SUV into a Monroe County building last April, killing two kids and wounding multiple others, was denied a new trial location Friday morning.

Bill Colovos, the defense lawyer for 66-year-old Marshella Chidester, argued that Chidester wouldn't receive a fair trial in Monroe County because of widespread media coverage that has led to deep hatred against her.

Judge Daniel White disagreed, and also denied a defense motion to put Chidester's trial on hold until a case involving her doctor concludes. Colovos, who has argued that a neurological condition played a role in the crash, said he plans to call her doctor to the stand at the trial.

Other evidence that Colovos wants tossed from the trial, such as statements Chidester made before she was read her Miranda Rights (her right to remain silent), will be ruled on by a judge on Feb. 10.

Chidester is scheduled to go on trial March 3.

Prosecutors said Chidester had a blood alcohol content of .18 (twice the legal limit) at the time of the crash, which happened at the Swan Boat Club in the 6300 block of Brancheau Road in Berlin Township on April 20.

Alanah Phillips, 8, and Zayn Phillips, 4, were killed in the crash and 13 other children and adults were injured, including a 31-year-old woman and an 11-year-old male who were initially in critical condition while three others, an 18-year-old female, a 16-year-old girl, and a 14-year-old boy, were seriously hurt, according to police.

Chidester was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated (OWI) causing death and four counts of OWI causing serious injury in connection with the crash. She faces life in prison if convicted on all charges. She was placed in the Monroe County Jail, but was later released after posting a $1.5 million bond.

After the crash, Monroe County sheriff's deputies said Chidester failed several field sobriety tests, including that she couldn't maintain her balance or count backward from 100. She did, however, recite the alphabet, they said.

During a June 2024 court hearing, prosecutors played a deputy's body camera footage that Chidester could be heard telling an officer: "I pulled into the parking lot and I was, I thought I was driving up to the boat club, and evidently I was driving right into the pavilion."

Defense lawyers for Chidester also said during the hearing that she had a glass of wine with chili on the day of the crash and was taking medication for epileptic-like seizures in her legs.
Prior to the crash, Chidester had blacked out from a seizure while behind the wheel and didn’t remember the crash or anything leading up to it, her lawyers said.

Separate body cam footage showed Chidester sitting in a chair at the scene after the crash. She was then heard saying that she was drinking wine roughly 30 minutes before the crash and mentioned having a history of seizures.

"I just, I passed out," she said.