By JAMES MITCHELL
Sunday Times Newspapers
TRENTON – A Detroit man who’d been facing charges of lying to police during a homicide investigation has been charged with the March strangulation death of George Hite.
According to court records, Aaron Marshall, 35, was arraigned June 18 before 33rd District Court Judge Jennifer Coleman Hesson on charges of premeditated homicide and felony murder. Both carry a potential sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole.
Charges had been expected, Trenton Director of Police and Fire James Nardone said, since Marshall was first taken into custody following the March 11 discovery of Hite’s body in his Westwood home that the 64-year-old had shared with his elderly mother.
Marshall told police he’d never been in the city, but prosecutors said cell phone records proved otherwise and Marshall was charged in April with lying to a peace officer.
Marshall was released in May on a $30,000 cash surety bond, but had remained a person of interest. Evidence in Hite’s home reportedly indicated that Marshall had been there, and evidence is expected to be presented at a preliminary examination of the evidence against Marshall scheduled for next month.
Police continued their investigation that tied Marshall to Hite, including shared visits to a Detroit casino. Nardone said others may have been involved and detectives will have the opportunity to present their findings in court.
Marshall remained in custody without bond. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday before Hesson in advance of next month’s preliminary exam before the matter is bound over to Wayne County Circuit Court.
(James Mitchell can be reached at [email protected].)