Attorney General of Michigan to Make Announcement on Baby Kate Case Friday

[XLFD]

A press release was sent to the usual suspects in the media.

 

 

LUDINGTON, MI – Michigan Attorney  General Bill Schuette and Mason County Prosecutor Paul Spaniola have scheduled a “major announcement” on the Baby Kate Phillips case for 11:45 a.m. Friday, Oct. 4.

Schuette, Spaniola and law-enforcement representatives will announce an “important development” in the case and answer questions afterward, according to a news release issued Thursday afternoon, Oct. 3. The announcement will be made at Ludington City Hall.

There was no immediate word on what will be announced.

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2013/10/baby_kate_anno...

Anybody want to hazard a guess as to what may be brought forth at this press conference?  It has been the only real news on this case since the plant search was conducted three months ago. 

[XLFD]

I speculate that there will be some announcement about pursuing murder charges against Sean Phillips, and the press conference will be to get it publicized so that the judges of the MI Appeals Court who are about to decide on Sean Phillips' appeal soon will be likely to read about it in the papers, see it on the net, or hear it on the TV.  AG Schuette and Prosecutor Spaniola will lay out their own speculative case based on speculative material and package it so that the judges digesting the media report are more likely to decide against Sean Phillips' appeal in the near future. 

Let's not forget, that Spaniola and the Attorney General are working together to prosecute the appeal, and that the last major press conference in this case coincided shortly after the filing of Phillips' appeal.  If this is anything more than a tactical maneuver to influence the Court of Appeals, I will be surprised.  Though their decision may be substantive.

[masonco]

I got the impression the attorney general called the conference and Spanolia had to jump in to make it appear it is his decision. The first place I saw it was MCP and grand rapids stations as well as MLive.  I did not see where it said our local "law enforcement" initiated this press conference.

Why is the attorney general involved at all?

Why not our esteemed Mason County sheriff?

[XLFD]

The AG office handled 'defending' Sean Phillips appeal, his involvement in the press conference is likely to bolster their standing, some of which seemed weak to me on legal grounds.  Sheriff Cole will be there, he wouldn't miss this.

[XLFD]

According to this pre- press conference tidbit from WOODTV, Sean Phillips is to be charged with murder by the authorities:  http://www.woodtv.com/news/michigan/major-announcement-in-baby-kate...

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, Mason County Prosecutor Paul Spaniola and other law enforcement officials will have more details during a news conference at 12:30 p.m. Friday at the Ludington City Council chambers, it's been pushed back 45 minutes.

[XLFD]

The COLDNews reports (later):  "Sean Michael Phillips, 23, Kate’s biological father, was charged with “open murder” today in 79th District Court in Ludington.

Katherine “Baby Kate” Phillips disappeared June 29, 2011 and is currently serving 10 to 15 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment in the disappearance of Kate, who was 4 1/2 months old when she was last seen.

The charges came shortly before a press conference scheduled by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, Mason County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Spaniola, and representatives of law enforcement agencies."

[XLFD]

Here's the press conference, any thoughts?

[masonco]

Watch to local yokels body language...Embarrassed maybe because big guns took over?

[XLFD]

Possibly due to that, or possibly because there is no 'new evidence' to speak of-- maybe just a repackaging of soil and plant material found on the bottom of shoes he wasn't even wearing that afternoon, maybe some further recollections/assertions by Ariel Courtland, maybe a prison inmate looking for fame by claiming Sean said something, maybe another prison note of questionable vintage. 

I believe they hope that with enough prosecutorial pyrotechnics they can shock and awe a jury into believing their own speculations.  I have so much reasonable doubt with what has already be put out that its coming out of my ears.