From a hospital bed at Hurley Medical Center, 27-year-old Timothy J. Kildee was arraigned Thursday in the alleged shooting death of his father, Timothy E. Kildee, the brother of U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township.
Appearing on a Zoom screen, Timothy J. Kildee expressed confusion a few different times during the hearing and at one point told Genesee County District Judge Christopher Odette he understood his 16 charges but said “most of them I didn’t do.”
At another point early in the hearing the Mount Morris man confirmed he could hear the judge but said, “I’m not really sure what’s going on, though.”
Members of the Kildee family, including the six-term Flint Township congressman, were listed as being present on the Zoom call while the judge read off the 16 charges, which included misdemeanor assault, armed robbery, carjacking, felony murder and operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious injury.
Timothy J. Kildee was ordered held without bond on the homicide charge and given lesser bonds for his other charges.
“This defendant would be a danger to society if he was out,” Genesee County Assistant Prosecutor Karen Hanson said during the Thursday hearing. Odette also implemented a no contact order with the suspect’s sister, who is a named victim in the case.
A probable cause hearing was scheduled tentatively for April 4 and a preliminary examination for April 9.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton and Sheriff Chris Swanson told reporters after the Thursday hearing that they expect discovery in the case to take “months” and that it was likely there would be delays to assess Timothy J. Kildee’s competency or criminal responsibility.
Leyton said there were concerns raised about Timothy J. Kildee’s mental health and it’s “very likely” his defense attorney would request a mental competency exam to determine whether he’s able to stand for trial.
“Frankly, if the defense lawyer doesn’t ask for that we’re going to ask for it,” Leyton said. “Because the last thing we would want is to go through the procedures — and, ultimately, if we have to have a trial — we want to make sure there are no issues for appeal.”
Congressman Kildee put out a brief statement Tuesday on the matter, but asked for privacy for the family.
“There are no words to describe the loss of a beloved brother and family member, especially in such a terrible tragedy,” the Flint Township Democrat said. “I thank the community for honoring my family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
The 27-year-old’s arraignment came after what police described as a chaotic series of events Tuesday morning that began with an alleged Burton home invasion and ended with the alleged shooting in Vienna Township and a serious vehicle crash in Genesee Township.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson that Timothy J. Kildee entered a Burton home around 3 a.m. Tuesday and had an altercation with his sister there.
There was a verbal confrontation and a gun was presented, but the suspect “took off,” Swanson said Tuesday.
Timothy J. Kildee left the home on foot, Swanson said Tuesday. Timothy J. Kildee’s mother later picked him up and began driving him to his father’s home in Mount Morris when her son jumped out of the moving car.
Timothy J. Kildee’s mother and father searched for him but were unable to find him, Swanson said. He later entered his father’s Mount Morris home where there was an altercation and the alleged shooting.
Timothy J. Kildee’s brother, who is expected to be a key witness in the case, heard Timothy J. Kildee ask for his father’s wallet and car keys, then heard a gunshot, Leyton said.
Timothy J. Kildee left the scene in his father’s truck and later crashed into another vehicle at Bray and Stanley roads in Genesee Township, Swanson said. The individual in the other vehicle sustained “serious impairment of a body function,” according to the warrant issued Wednesday.
Timothy E. Kildee worked as a journeyman millwright and “enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening, collecting guns and the outdoors,” according to his obituary.
The Kildee family is holding a public visitation from 4-7 p.m. Sunday at Sharp Funeral Homes’ Miller Road Chapel, 8138 Miller Road, in Swartz Creek.
A private family funeral service is planned for Monday, according to Sharp Funeral Homes.
The Kildee family is encouraging memorial donations be made to the Genesee County Prevention Coalition, a Flint Township-based substance abuse and mental health prevention organization. Its address is G4428 Fenton Road, Flint, MI, 48507.
___
© 2024 www.detroitnews.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
