By Alan BurdziakThe News-Herald

LINCOLN PARK — Aman suspected of being aserial rapist was bound overfor trial on three chargesyesterday in 25th DistrictCourt.

Elmore Nichols Jr., 52,of Detroit was caught afterhe allegedly tried to rape a64-year-oldLincoln Parkwoman afterbreaking intoher houseon ElectricAvenue atabout 5:30a.m. July 7.

Nicholswas arrested shortly after-ward.

He was arraigned July 9on charges of felony homeinvasion, attempted rapeand receiving and conceal-ing stolen property. He alsois a suspect in other break-ins and sexual assaults inOakland and Wayne coun-ties.

His alleged victim testi-fied yesterday at a prelimi-nary examination of the evi-dence against Nichols.

Alleged serialrapist boundover for trial

The Voice of Downriver ■ North Zone Edition

Southgate, Michigan 48195 Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Downriver

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At this point in the afternoon, the southbound traffic on Telegraph Road was backed up more than a mile fromWick to Ecorse roads. Police reported 2 1/2-mile backups from Goddard to I-94 throughout the day.

SPECIALREPORT

Our series on ShrinkingGovernment continueswith stories on:

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Please see pages 12Aand 13A.

By Dave GorgonSpecial to The News-Herald

TAYLOR — A day of fun at theTelegraph Tomorrow Car Cruiseturned into a night of “utter chaos”before police closed parking lots of spectators and shut down TelegraphRoad.

Taylor police Cmdr. John Blair

said thousands of spectators weresent home starting at 11 p.m., thesame time officers closed southboundTelegraph at Ecorse Road and north-bound Telegraph at Wick, divertingtraffic onto Ecorse and Wick, respec-tively.

Police officers and auxiliary offi-cers were busy throughout the night.

Blair said there was one drunken-driving arrest, four reckless drivingtickets and at least two accidents thatleft one driver hospitalized and otherspectators scrambling to safety.

He said a number of tickets werefor “impeding the flow of traffic”

‘UTTER CHAOS’

 Police shut down Telegraph after jam packed cruise clogs the road 

PLEASE SEE CRUISE /4-A

By Jackie Harrison-MartinThe News-Herald

DETROIT — A murdercase that made headlinesin The News-HeraldNewspapers 25 years ago isback on the front page.

Thomas Highers, then 22,and his brother, RaymondHighers, then 21, were con-victed in the 1987 murder of Robert Karey, 65, of Detroit,but their convictions werethrown out Thursday and anew trial has been ordered.

The pair were foundguilty of first-degree felonymurder, assault with intentto commit murder and pos-session of a firearm and

were sentenced to life inprison.

Lawyers for the two werehopeful the Highers broth-ers would be released onbond pending the trial. Itappears that is not going tohappen immediately.

A hearing is set for Aug.13 before Wayne CountyCircuit Judge LawrenceTalon, who will decide if themen will be released whileawaiting trial.

Talon intends to use theinterim to review the behav-ior of the men while theywere incarcerated.

Both have committedseveral offenses, including

drug possession and fight-ing, since they have beenimprisoned.

The convictions weretossed after a commentabout the men in a 2009Facebook post sparked aconversation about themurder that eventually ledtwo new witnesses to comeforward.

Witnesses have told policethey saw two black menshoot Karey. The Highersbrothers are white.

At the time of the inci-dent, it was reported thatthe brothers, admitted crackcocaine users, intended torob Karey, who had been

selling marijuana out hiseastside Detroit home of years.

During their trial, a wit-ness said he saw two whitemen pull up to Karey’shouse, go to the back doorand then gunshots wereheard.

He identified the Highersbrothers as the men he sawfleeing in a vehicle.

Kevin Zieleniewski, aformer Detroit resident, sawthe Facebook entry postedby Mary Evans mentioningthe murder and convictions.Eventually, word reachedJohn Hielscher, who agreedto testify at an eviden-

tiary hearing with anotherfriend. The men said theywere at Karey’s house thenight of the murder.

Both testified in Marchthat they were at Karey’sback door when they sawtwo armed black men andheard a gunshot.

The testimony has beenenough to raise doubts, butan assistant prosecutorassigned to the case believesthe turn of events is partof a conspiracy to free thebrothers.

At the time of the two-week bench trial, a witnesstold police the men insidethe fleeing vehicle “looked

very similar.”Another man testified

that he was inside the houseat the time and someoneshot at him, but he did notsee who was shooting orKarey being shot.

The Higherses werearrested about a week afterthe shooting.

Members of the men’sfamily told several mediaoutlets the years withoutthe two men have been “hor-rible.”

Contact Staff Writer JackieHarrison-Martin at 1-734-246-0837 orJackie@heritage.com.

Brothers’ murder convictions thrown out

By Jackie Harrison-MartinThe News-Herald

HURON TWP. — A juvenile could be tried asan adult after he allegedlybroke into a house in the1900 block of Verna Laneand stole an off-duty Detroit

Police said the officer wasasleep when the incidentoccurred at about 5 a.m.Monday.

According to police, thesuspect, 16, broke into thehouse through a window.

He already had swiped

some electronics, a walletand a cellphone before theofficer awakened.

Police declined to com-ment on the exchangebetween the officer and thesuspect, but said the juve-nile fled the house with the

bor’s house and called 911.Police called for K-9 assis-

tance from BrownstownTownship.

The police dog led officersto a wooded area surround-ing Verna Lane, where prop-erty stolen from vehicles

Off-duty officer’s loaded gun is stolen; juvenile suspect may be tried as an adult

PLEASE SEE TRIAL /2-A

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Wednesday’s Weather Inside The News-Herald

Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-B

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Downriver Life . . . . . . . . . 1-D

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Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-A

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©2012, The News-Herald Newspapers 

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and stole an off-duty Detroitpolice officer’s semi-auto-matic gun.

He already had swipedthe fully loaded department-issued gun off a nightstand,

nile fled the house with theofficer’s belongings.

The officer ran to a neigh-

erty stolen from vehicleswere located.

PLEASE SEE GUN /2-A

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