Pandemic, Clerk Error Hottest Lead to Delay in Susie Zhao Murder Demo

As family, close friends and customers of the poker neighborhood hold out for responses in the Susie Zhao murder circumstance, delays and pushbacks brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, alterations to authorized counsel and a submitting mistake mean it will acquire longer to get people answers.

Zhao, a 33-yr-previous professional poker participant who created deep operates in the World Collection of Poker Major Celebration and who was a typical in the Los Angeles poker scene, was brutally murdered in July 2020 shortly right after relocating to Michigan. Zhao’s suspected killer, 61-12 months-old Jeffery Bernard Morris of Pontiac, Michigan, is in custody and awaits trial on two counts of murder.

Morris has a pretrial hearing scheduled in February, when the trial itself is scheduled to get underway this summer. Following a sequence of delays spanning the class of multiple yrs, below is almost everything you will need to know about where factors stand in the Susie Zhao murder trial.

Scenario Track record

Zhao’s poorly burned and partially mutilated entire body was uncovered on July 13, 2020 in a state recreation place in White Lake, Michigan. In the following weeks, White Lake law enforcement arrested and billed Morris, a convicted intercourse offender with a violent prison historical past courting again to the 1980s.

An autopsy exposed that Zhao experienced been burned alive and sexually assaulted. Law enforcement and Oakland County prosecutors allege that Morris fulfilled Zhao at Sherwood Motel, where he bound her with zip ties and “lit (her) on fire till she died.” Surveillance footage showed that Morris later drove to the point out park where by Zhao’s remains had been identified, though mobile cell phone data joined the two to the Michigan motel.

In September 2020, Morris was billed with initial-degree premeditated murder in Clarkston’s 52nd District Court. As aspects emerged in the graphic circumstance, prosecutors additional a next murder cost and a decide sure the circumstance more than to the better Oakland County Circuit Courtroom.

Justice Delayed

Morris’ trial was initially slated to just take place in March 2021, although that date was afterwards pushed back to September because of to coronavirus-relevant restrictions at the courthouse, in accordance to The Oakland Push.

In September, Oakland County Circuit Court Decide Martha Anderson agreed to delay the circumstance right until January 2022 owing to a change in the defense counsel, court docket paperwork condition. In December, the Oakland County Indigent Defense Services Place of work appointed Michael McCarthy as Morris’ new counsel, replacing Pamela Johnson.

This would not be the previous hold off in the prolonged murder demo. On January 11, the case had to return to District Court docket due to an “error at (the) time of bindover,” which was triggered by a clerk failing to incorporate the next murder demand to the situation before it was transferred to the Circuit Court back again in late 2020.

Then, on January 12, Chief Circuit Judge Jeffery Matis issued an purchase stating that all jury trials scheduled by means of February 25 would be “adjourned without having personal orders” because of to a surge in coronavirus conditions and would be rescheduled on or soon after February 28 “when court docket resumes total functions, barring unexpected situation.”

“This Court docket issues this Administrative Get as yet another in a sequence of Administrative Orders to deal with court docket operations in the course of the time of the distribute of the Coronavirus Illness that emerged in 2019, recognised as COVID-19,” the order states, more noting that “COVID-19 continues to materially affect the operating of the Court docket.”

As points at this time stand, it appears to be like the murder trial will at last be having underway later this calendar year. The newest pretrial date is established for February 17, while the most current demo day is scheduled for June 16, according to court paperwork.

Zhao was discovered dead in July 2020

Remembering “Susie Q”

In accordance to The Detroit News, Zhao immigrated from China as a boy or girl and grew up in Michigan. She afterwards analyzed psychology and small business at Northwestern University around Chicago and inevitably moved to Los Angeles, where she was a typical in the reside poker scene and performed and commentated on the “Live at the Bike” stream at the Bicycle On line casino.

Zhao also did properly in tournaments, accumulating $222,671 in dwell match earnings courting back again to 2009, in accordance to The Hendon Mob. Her finest stay money came in 2012 when she concluded 90th in the WSOP Most important Celebration for $73,805. Just a couple years later on, she completed in 172nd position for $40,433 in the 2015 Primary Party.

Zhao, who was known in the poker neighborhood as “Susie Q,” had a lively character and appeared to make an impact on just about everyone she played with.

“She was one particular of the bubbliest and most vivacious opponents I have ever had,” stated Clayton Fletcher, who played with Zhao in the 2015 Major Celebration. “She was a really powerful player who also appreciated to have exciting at the table.”

“(Zhao) was nice on and off the table,” stated Ronnie Bardah. “Had the satisfaction to hang out and split bread with her on numerous instances. Very intelligent and a sweetheart.”

Allen Kessler called Zhao 1 of his “long time poker friends” and stated he had chatted with her days just before her loss of life.

Brandon Shack-Harris, meanwhile, famous that he had “tons of wonderful ordeals enjoying and speaking with her in the Chicago times.”

“Really cool man or woman, and so happy I bought to know her,” Shack-Harris explained.

PokerNews will carry on to monitor this scenario as developments happen through 2022.