The last three men of the 14 that were charged for their involvement inallegedly attempting to kidnapMichigan Gov.Gretchen Whitmerat her vacation home in Antrim County in 2020 have been found not guilty.
The Antrim County jury reached the verdict on Friday following a day of deliberation after closing arguments were delivered on Wednesday, the outlet reported.
David Eggert/AP/Shutterstock
Per the publication, prosecutors argued that the Null brothers acted as the “muscle” and Molitor recorded video footage of Whitmer’s vacation home as part of the kidnapping plot.
Antrim County Sheriff’s Office via AP, File
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However, William Null testified in court that he didn’t know that he and the other men were going to Whitmer’s home during their nighttime surveillance. Molitor, meanwhile, said he “feared for his life” while they were all with Adam Fox, one of the convicted ringleaders, per ABC News.
“What happens if we don’t do this stuff?” Molitor explained in court, according to the outlet. “He [Fox] wasn’t saying, ‘Shoot somebody’ — that would have been a hard no. He didn’t say, ‘Blow something up’ — that would have been a hard no. He said, ‘Take a video.’ I took a video.”
Michael Null declined to testify, according to ABC News.
Michigan Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin had argued during his closing argument on Wednesday, “All the defendants here hated our government. All the defendants here hated police officers. They thought police officers were the enemy and they were willing to go to war with them,” perTheNew York Times.
“If you’re going to help somebody, knowing that they planned a terrorist act, that’s wrong,” Rollstin also said at one point, according to ABC News.
Miltor’s defense attorney William Barnett, however, told the jury in his closing statement that the state’s case against his client is “weak,” as the prosecutors were allegedly trying to mislead them with their presentation of evidence, the outlet reported.
“This thing just became a good story they couldn’t back out of. They’re here pulling the shortcuts to try to get somebody convicted, an innocent person,” Barnett said, per ABC News.
Whitmer’s office also issued a statement, according to ABC News, saying that the alleged kidnapping plot was “the result of violent, divisive rhetoric that is all too common across our country,”
“There must be accountability and consequences for those who commit heinous crimes. Without accountability, extremists will be emboldened,” the statement reads.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.AP/Shutterstock
Molitor and the Null men were arrested in October 2020 along with 11 other men. United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced at the time that Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta werefederally charged with conspiring to kidnapGov. Whitmer, 52.
Separately, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that Paul Bellar, Shawn Fix, Eric Molitor, Michael Null, William Null, Pete Musico and Joseph Morrison — all known to be members or associates of a militia group — werearrested on state terrorism charges.
Brian Higgins was also arrested and charged with material support of an act of terrorism, according toABC News.
source: people.com
