Kalamazoo man charged with sexually assaulting, killing 13-month-old to stand trial
Updated Feb 17, 2021;
Posted Feb 17, 2021
Portage police responded to Milham Meadows Apartments on Aug. 12, 2020 on the call of an unresponsive child. On Aug. 13, Meilani Marie Hart, 13 months, was pronounced dead at Bronson Methodist Hospital. (MLive file photo | Crystal Vander Weit)KALAMAZOO
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KALAMAZOO, MI A man accused of sexually assaulting and killing 13-month-old Meilani Hart last summer at a Portage apartment will now stand trial.
Jacob Britton Emmendorfer, 27, is charged with homicide, child abuse and first-degree criminal sexual assault related to the child’s death. Emmendorfer’s case was bound over to Kalamazoo County Circuit Court on Wednesday, Feb. 17 by Kalamazoo County District Judge Richard Santoni.
Kalamazoo’s homicide victims of 2020 remembered
Updated Jan 04, 2021;
Posted Jan 01, 2021
(Top from left) Royalty Houston-Hooper, McKenna Dutkiewicz, Carmen Hughes, Londrell Cook, Cornelius Fredricks and Dondreal Watkins. (Bottom from left) DeVante Coleman, Brandon Kelley, Michael Clopton III, Rachel Curl, Victor Davis and Robert James Richardson Jr.
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There were more than 70
non-fatal shootings and 13 homicides due to gun violence within Kalamazoo city limits in 2020. Overall, there were 14 homicides in Kalamazoo: three in Portage, two in Kalamazoo Township, one in Oshtemo Township and one in Richland Township, bringing the countywide homicide count to 21.
The total surpasses the previous century mark of 20 homicides in 2016. That year, 11 of the 20 deaths occurred during two mass killings one in February when Uber driver Jason Dalton shot and killed six people and wounded two others, and one in June when Charles Pickett Jr. drove his truck into a group of
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Jacob Britton Emmendorfer (Kalamazoo County)
PORTAGE, MICHIGAN: A Michigan man has been accused of sexually abusing and murdering his former girlfriend s 14-month-old baby daughter. The man, 27-year-old Jacob Britton Emmendorfer, was charged on Monday, December 21, in the death of Meilani Marie Hart, according to MLive. The child was killed in a Milham Meadows Apartment in Portage, Michigan. The sickening incident had taken place on August 12.
Meilani was found unresponsive when first responders arrived at the scene of the crime at around 10 pm at night, according to authorities. A couple of hours later, the toddler passed away after she was transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital. The Kalamazoo County Medical Examiner s Office had determined that the child s death was a homicide.
Kalamazoo man charged with sexually assaulting, killing 14-month-old at Portage apartment
Updated Dec 21, 2020;
Posted Dec 21, 2020
Jacob Britton Emmendorfer, 27, was arraigned Monday, Dec. 21, 2020 in the death of 14-month-old Meilani Marie Hart, who was killed Aug. 12 at Milham Meadows Apartments in Portage, Michigan. Emmendorfer is being charged with homicide, child abuse and first-degree criminal sexual assault. (MLive file photo | Crystal Vander Weit)KALAMAZOO
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Jacob Britton Emmendorfer, 27, was arrested Dec. 18 in the matter, according to court records.
Emmendorfer was arraigned Monday, Dec. 21, by Kalamazoo County District Judge Richard Santoni. He is being charged with three felonies, including homicide, child abuse and first-degree criminal sexual assault.
Portage woman pleads guilty to killing boyfriend’s 2-year-old daughter
Updated Dec 10, 2020;
Posted Dec 10, 2020
Tranaya Spencer, 22, pleaded guilty Thursday, Dec. 10 to one count of manslaughter and one count of third-degree child abuse in the death of 2-year-old Royalty Hooper-Houston. Police responded to Milham Meadows Apartments in Portage, Michigan, March 13, 2020 on the report of the child being unresponsive. (MLive file photo)KALAMAZOO
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Tranaya Spencer, 22, pleaded guilty Thursday, Dec. 10 to one count of manslaughter and one count of third-degree child abuse, Kalamazoo County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Scott Brower told MLive.
Spencer will be sentenced Jan. 4 in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court.