By BOB OLIVER
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — For a third time in a year, a trial date has been set for the two cases involving a Dearborn man accused to shooting and killing two Dearborn Family Dollar store employees in July 2013.
Lavere Bryant, 35, is now set to begin both of his trials Nov. 10 before Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Qiana Denise Lillard.
Bryant last appeared in court before Lillard for a motion hearing last month, where the scheduled start for the trial was also announced.
One trial will be for the alleged murder of Joseph Orlando and Brenna Kathleen Machus, both 20 years old, and the second will be for charges stemming from failing to register as a sexual offender.
The body of Orlando was found inside the store on July 16, 2013, by police, who were called to the store by an employee who had found it in disarray. Machus’ body was discovered two days later in a wooded area just south of Michigan Avenue and near the Southfield Freeway.
The store itself closed its doors last month.
In the homicide case, Bryant is charged with eight felonies including two counts each of first degree murder and felony murder (one count for each victim), armed robbery, unlawful imprisonment, felon in possession of a firearm, felony firearm and being a habitual offender.
Each of the four murder charges carry a penalty of life in prison without parole.
For the second trial, Bryant is charged with five counts of failure to comply with sex offender reporting duties and one count of failure to register as a sex offender.
Bryant is required to register as a sex offender because of a 1999 conviction for home invasion and second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The home invasion charge was dismissed, but Bryant was given five years probation and sentenced to one year of confinement in the Michigan Department of Corrections for the criminal sexual conduct.
Bryant was in custody for the sexual offender charges when the homicide case was brought against him.
He was arraigned and had a preliminary examination of the evidence against him in 19th District Court before Judge Sam Salamey, who bound Bryant over to circuit court last October.
Since arriving at the circuit court, the trials have been pushed back twice since January, most recently while Bryant had undergone competency exams, which he passed.
Bryant is being held without bond in the Wayne County Jail.
(Bob Oliver can be reached at [email protected].)