A Saginaw man is accused of fatally stabbing his wife Monday afternoon after she crashed her vehicle into a telephone pole, according to authorities.
Forty-nine-year-old Lenard K. James is charged in Saginaw County District Court with open murder and carrying a dangerous weapon, car accident reports from the Saginaw Police Department state. He is accused of killing 51-year-old Vernida L. Hicks, also of Saginaw, following a single-vehicle wreck on State Street on Monday evening.
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Hicks at about 5 p.m. Monday was driving east on State Street with James as her passenger, authorities said. The two began arguing and Hicks lost control of her vehicle, crashing into a telephone pole in the 6200 block of State Street, according to car accident reports.
Hicks and James both were able to leave the vehicle. But the argument continued, according to police, and James ultimately stabbed Hicks repeatedly before fleeing the scene on foot.
Authorities apprehended James a few minutes later, they said. Per Michigan law, the open murder charge means he can be convicted of either first-degree or second-degree murder.
Car accident reports available Thursday don’t list any other injuries occurring as a result of the wreck. Authorities also have not divulged whether they believe the fight or another factor, like intoxication or speed, might have led to Hicks losing control of the vehicle.
Authorities said James is being held at the Saginaw County Jail without bond. Court proceedings will be scheduled for a later date, prosecutors said.
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The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Safety Watch’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.