Two Men Awaiting Trial Date
Kristopher Pratt, aged 20, and Ed Thomas, aged 21, were back in court this past week for their final pretrial hearing. They appeared before Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Donald Shelton to determine whether or not their cases are ready for trial.
The two men are facing open murder and armed robbery charges. According to the prosecution, Pratt and Thomas robbed and murdered Eastern Michigan University football player Demarius Reed in the early morning hours of October 18th last year.
Reed’s body was found at about 7am in the stairwell of an off-campus apartment building on West Clark Road in Ypsilanti. He had been shot to death, and his cellphone and wallet were missing.
Witnesses have testified that both men were in the area at the time of the shooting and two men gave testimony that they had overheard Pratt and Thomas discussing the murder. In addition, the bullet retrieved from Reed’s body matches the gun found in Pratt’s possession.
Both Pratt and Thomas are charged with open murder and armed robbery. Both of these charges are very serious felonies and if convicted, these men could be facing up to life in prison. Pratt is also facing charges of carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
At one point the prosecution also charged them both with conspiracy to commit armed robbery, but the Judge ruled that there was not enough evidence to show that they had planned to rob Reed.
Both Pratt and Thomas are being held at the Washtenaw County Jail without bond. They are scheduled for trial on June 23rd.
As experienced Michigan trial attorneys, we know that Pratt and Thomas face a difficult battle ahead and quite possibly many years in prison. Even when the odds seemed stacked against you, having an experienced criminal defense attorney working with you does make a difference.