Gerring murder trial postponed

BELLAIRE – The murder trial of a Mancelona man accused of taking the life of a Chestonia Township resident and injuring another has been postponed.  

The request to postpone the trial of Robert Vincent Gerring, originally scheduled to begin on Monday, July 16, was made Monday, July 9 by Antrim County Prosecuting Attorney James Rossiter during a brief hearing before 13th Circuit Court Judge Thomas Power.

Gerring, 30, is accused of shooting 64-year-old Daniel Sutherland, which resulted in Sutherland's death two days later, as well as shooting a 15-year-old juvenile neighbor of Sutherland. The incident occurred Saturday, March 10 at Sutherland's home on M-66 near Green River Road. The juvenile has recovered from his injuries.

During the July 9 hearing, Rossiter cited a delay of evidence needed for the prosecution to go to trial, including the results of DNA analysis of a bloodstain found on Gerring's clothes at the time of his arrest, results of testing of a shotgun believed to be the murder weapon, an analysis of Gerring's handwriting, and the final results of an autopsy conducted on Sutherland from the Michigan State Police Crime Lab.

In his request, Rossiter also noted defense counsel Kelli J. Claxton's motions for additional funding for an investigator and toxicology expert, both still before the court, as well as a motion to suppress untimely discovery.

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