OTTAWA COUNTY, MI (WHTC) – Two of Ottawa County’s most dangerous felons will not be getting out of prison anytime soon. The Michigan Supreme Court has reviewed the cases of Davanh Phouangphet and Theodore Gray Sr. and announced in a court order release that it will not hear arguments from either party.
Phouanphet was convicted of first-degree murder for setting his landlord on fire in 2013. He claimed that there was not sufficient evidence to prove he committed the murder of his landlord, Thanh “Kim” Le. Phouangphet’s defense attorney Robert Hamilton tried to appeal his case, but the Michigan Court of Appeals rejected the plea. Phouangphet is currently serving a mandatory life sentence at Carson City Correctional Facility.
The other appeal case, submitted by Theodore Gray Sr., was also rejected by the Court of Appeals. Gray was convicted of assaulting a then-younger-then-13 girl in 2013 by the Ottawa County Circuit Court. Gray claims that he didn’t have adequate legal representation at the time of his trial and that certain testimonies that were given at the trial should not have been permissible. The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the scoring of Gray’s sentence was justifiable for his actions. He is currently serving 17.5 to 30 years in Saginaw Correctional Facility.
– Caitlyn Burry
