HASTINGS, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – The 48-year-old man accused in a murder more than 18 months ago in Barry County may have agreed to a plea deal, but he still will face a lengthy stretch in a state prison.
John Joseph Calgaro, who pled no contest to second-degree murder charges a week ago in the July, 2016 death of Matthew Morin, was sentenced this morning in Barry County Circuit Court from 25 to 75 years behind bars. The body of the 39-year-old South Haven man was discovered in a remote area of Pine Lake Road a week after Calgaro allegedly ran over it twice. The suspect initially claimed that it was an accident, but investigators learned that Calgaro returned to the scene to bury the body and steal Morin’s identity, which led to open murder charges.
In exchange for not contesting second-degree murder charges, Calgaro will have various other charges against him stemming from the incident dropped, and he still could have received life in prison. Today’s sentencing will run consecutively to a sentence he had received in Van Buren County for a probation violation two years ago.
