5/22/13 - A Howell Township man charged with open murder for a fatal shooting last year at a Brighton Township gun range appeared in court briefly this afternoon. 20-year-old Jessce Lincon Stearn is being held without bond and also faces a felony firearms count in the June 2012 death of 21-year-old Charles Kimball at the Livingston Conservation and Sports Association gun range. He was present for a brief hearing in 53rd District Court in Brighton where Judge Theresa Brennan determined there was good cause to exceed the 14-day rule for an exam, saying thereâs a multitude of discovery that needs to be done. Stearn told authorities his replica AK-47 had jammed and that when he tried to clear it, it misfired and hit Kimball in the head, killing him instantly. He had pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge originally filed by prosecutors because there was no evidence to support that Stearn intended to kill Kimball. However that all changed recently when new evidence in the case surfaced, reportedly statements Stearn made to fellow inmates in the Livingston County Jail that he had intentionally killed Kimball over an unpaid debt, resulting in the current charges being filed. Following the crime last year, Sheriff Bob Bezotte said they were unable to reproduce the weapon malfunction and that witness statements contradicted the claim that it was an accident. An exam in the case has been scheduled for Thursday, June 13th. (JM)
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