Michigan man charged with fatally stabbing neighbor, sexually assaulting neighbor's family
(CBS DETROIT) - A 50-year-old Michigan man is charged with 11 felonies in connection with the fatal stabbing of a neighbor and the sexual assault of a neighbor's wife and daughter.
According to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office, Timothy Ernest Legard of Pontiac went to a neighbor's house on Ypsilanti Avenue in Pontiac around 6 a.m. Wednesday. Legard allegedly met the neighbor outside their home, stabbed the man in his driveway, entered the home where the man's wife and daughter were getting ready for school and then sexually assaulted them.
Officials say the man's wife and daughter were able to escape and call 911 at a neighbor's home. When officers arrived on the scene, they found the victim deceased in the driveway with a stab wound to his chest. Deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office found Legard walking nearby and arrested him.
"The allegations in this case are about as sick as they come," said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. "Murdered one of his friends and then sexually assaulted the victim's wife and young daughter in the same room. Even for seasoned law enforcement veterans, the emotional trauma on these poor victims is overwhelming. Disgusting on so many levels. I look forward to him being held accountable."
Legard is charged with 11 felonies, including first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, second-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
"This was an absolutely brutal and horrific attack on a family," said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald in a statement. "First-Degree Murder, First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, and Kidnapping are life offenses, and they are the most serious charges my office brings. We will fight vigorously for justice for this family and to protect the community from those who perpetrate violence."
Legard is currently being held in the Oakland County Jail and is expected to be arraigned over the weekend.
