Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
On the rainy Thursday morning of September 20th, a fatal stabbing occurred at the Chrysler North Jefferson Assembly Plant in Detroit. According to news reports, two employees at the plant were involved in an altercation that resulted in the death of one employee. Production was suspended for the remainder of the morning. At that time, a woman headed inside the plant stated that no information had been released to union workers. The altercation happened prior to 8 a.m. As of approximately 10 a.m., no arrests had been made.
One worker at the plant told reporters that days before the stabbing, a fight broke out between a material handler and line worker. According to the employee who did not want to give his name, the situation escalated on the day the stabbing took place, with one employee slitting the other’s throat while he was sitting in the break room. Apparently, the suspect’s wife worked at the Chrysler plant as well, and was the source of the argument. Police said the employee who allegedly stabbed the worker fled the scene immediately.
The two employees were later named; Keith Readus, 43 years old, was allegedly stabbed by Jeff Hunt. News reports state that Hunt later shot himself in his SUV at Belle Isle, committing suicide. Detroit Police Inspector Dwayne Blackmon said that after a brief conversation, Readus was stabbed – and that the stabbing was intentional.
While there is a no weapons policy in place at the plant, no metal detectors are used to ensure employees’ safety. Chrysler Senior Vice President of Manufacturing Scott Garberdeing said that reasonable measures would be taken to ensure the safety of employees who work at the plant. Understandably, workers are extremely distraught, particularly friends of the two employees.
While authorities continued to investigate the motive of the crime, many workers believe the stabbing took place over Hunt’s wife and an alleged 3-way love triangle.
Murder is a serious crime that can lead to substantial prison time or even life behind bars for those convicted. While this certainly a sad story, Michigan criminal defense lawyers know that those who are accused of any serious or violent offense must have skilled legal representation in order to reach the best possible outcome.