DETROIT — A Wayne County Circuit Court jury recently found a 42-year-old Lincoln Park man guilty of the deaths of two men who were found murdered Feb. 27, 2008.
Dennis Langley and John Mascow, both 61 years old, were found in Langley’s home in the 20600 block of Coachwood in Riverview.
The jury reached its verdict Oct. 7. Unless a successful appeal is filed, officials say Doyle William Palmer likely will spend the rest of his life incarcerated.
While there is little the prosecution and defense agree on, both have stated that they don’t believe one person alone committed the murders.
According to published reports, prosecuting attorney Christine Kowal said the legal team who tried the case didn’t believe Palmer acted alone.
Riverview Detective Sgt. Roseanne Wooliver, while also pleased with the court outcome, concurred that other parties were involved in the murder, robbery and arson.
Palmer’s court-appointed attorney, Maria Mannarino, reportedly pursued the case against the other suspects for almost 10 months.
However, the record indicates that inconsistent and untrue statements by the key witnesses caused Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to drop charges against the earlier trio of suspects: Alicia Hartner, Michael Wellwood II and Phillip Morris of Woodhaven. At the time Hartner was 18 years old, while Wellwood was 19 and Morris 22.
Hartner had lived with Langley for a few years as a youth when he dated her mother, and knew his vending machine business caused him to keep large amounts of money and cigarettes in his home.
While in custody early on in the investigation, Hartner implicated herself and Wellwood, then her boyfriend, police said. However, authorities say Hartner’s statement was not tied to any physical evidence or eyewitness accounts.
They also said, however that there was solid forensic evidence implicating Palmer, including his blood on a latex glove, a knife, a paper towel, a staircase, and in an upstairs bedroom. Michigan State Police forensic reports said the latex glove with Palmer’s blood on the inside also had the victims’ blood on the outside.
Palmer is scheduled to be sentenced by Wayne County Circuit Judge Annette Berry on Oct. 27.