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No Bond For Bank Suspect

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Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
July
Year
1975
Copyright
Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

The Ann Arbor News

20 Cents

141st Year. No. 194 

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Sunday. July ,13,1975

No Bond For Bank Suspect

BY WILLIAM B. TREML

News Staff Reporter

A Detroit man, charged with murder in the slaying Friday of an Ypsilanti police officer during a bank robbery, appeared briefly Saturday at a court hearing.

Howard Hughes III, 29, was brought before 14th District Court Judge Thomas F. Shea on a bond-setting session required by law. The informal. 30-second hearing was held in the business office of the 15th District Court on the sixth floor of the Ann Arbor City Hall. The session was part of the regular weekend night court arraignment schedule.

Standing between a desk and a counter of the office with Assistant County Prosecutor James Sexsmith at his side. Judge Shea told Hughes: “I want you to know that there is no bond in your case. You will appear before me Monday morning for arraignment on this charge. Do you understand, Mr. Hughes?”

The suspect, his head bent forward to avoid newspaper photographers attempting to take his picture, nodded but did not answer. He appeared without a lawyer at the hearing but investigators say he has been advised of his rights several times including his right to an attorney now or later.

Hughes was brought to the Ann Arbor court by Ypsilanti Detective Sgt. Daniel Heliker, principal investigator in the case. Detective Michael Vincent and Forrest Newton, administrative aide to Ypsilanti Police Chief Elwood Dethloff. Hughes had been placed in a lockup cell at the east end of the courtroom complex while Judge Shea swore Sgt. Heliker in connection with the warrant charging Hughes with felony murder.

Hughes immediately dropped his head when he spotted waiting photographers as he was being led down a hallway to the court office area from the lockup. His black hair was tangled and unkempt and he was dressed in a red plaid shirt and maroon trousers. His hands were handcuffed behind his back.

Normally all night court arraignments are held in the 15th District courtroom of Judge S. J. Elden but Judge Shea said he would hold the bond-setting hearing in the office area.

When the short hearing ended the three Ypsilanti officers took Hughes down a rear elevator to the Ann Arbor police garage at the rear of City Hall. There Hughes again ducked his head to avoid newspaper photographers and when the rear door of the Ypsilanti police car was opened he lunged inside, lying face down on the seat.

Detective Vincent snapped: "Move over so I can get in.” Hughes sat up and then moved to the right side of the seat as Vincent got in beside him. With Sgt. Heliker driving and Officer Newton be-side him the police car sped back to the Ypsilanti police headquarters. There Hughes has been under periodic questioning concerning the robbery of the National Bank of Ypsilanti branch at 300 E. Michigan Ave. which brought the deaths of Patrolman Douglas Downing and James Gant Jr., 48, of Detroit. Downing died from three bullets in the chest as he struggled with one of the gunmen inside the bank branch. Gant was shot down when he emerged through the front door of the bank with a gun in his hand. Ypsilanti Patrolman Ronald Pfeifer fired 11 of 15 shots from a carbine rifle when Gant failed to drop his hand gun when ordered.

Monday, Hughes will again be brought before Judge Shea, this time in Shea’s own courtroom at 206 N. Huron St. in Ypsilanti. At that time a formal arraignment will be held on the felony murder charge. The judge then will read the criminal complaint and warrant to Hughes and set a date for the District Court examination. The defendant will also be questioned on his preference for a lawyer.

While Hughes’ Saturday court appearance was taking place the net aimed at snaring another suspect in the robbery of the branch bank was reaching out hundreds of miles from Ypsilanti. Officer Newton said departments from every part of Michigan and others in neighboring states were checking leads on the whereabouts of the suspect.

“We’re receiving excellent cooperation from every department, everywhere.” Newton said. “It’s a matter of a wide search, an intensive search.”

Police charge that a fourth man was with Hughes and Hughes’ brother, Gerald, 32, when the trio’s stolen Cadillac was wrecked a mile from the branch bank shortly after the robbery. Witnesses said the car jumped a curb, ripped off a manhole cover and crashed into a fence at the rear of Owens Service Station at Ecorse Road and Parkwood Avenue.

Police say the three men fled the wrecked car but pursuing police apprehended the Hughes brothers. The other man disappeared and is now the object of a four-state search.

Gerald Hughes, wounded in the arm and abdomen at the branch bank, remained in fair condition Saturday night at University Hospital. Police say it is now felt that Hughes was shot by Patrolman Downing before he was slain. There was blood in the rear seat of the stolen Cadillac and arresting officers say it came from Gerald Hughes' wounds. They said they did not fire at him during the capture.

Jerome Farmer III, chief assistant county prosecuting attorney, had said earlier that Gerald ‘Hughes will also be charged with felony murder when doctors at University Hospital permit arraignment.

Detective Sgt. Heliker and most of his investigators had put in more, than 30 continuous hours on the robbery-homicide by Saturday afternoon. And rest for them was not yet in sight.

“We're getting some help on this fourth man,” Sgt. Heliker said. “We’re going to stay on it.”

 

Hughes With Detective Sgt. Heliker In City Hall Before Bond-Setting Hearing