Murder Conviction Stands For Macomb County Grandma
MOUNT CLEMENS (WWJ/AP) - The Michigan appeals court has affirmed the conviction of a Detroit-area woman who went to trial four times before a jury convicted her of first-degree murder in the drowning of her 4-year-old grandson.
A lawyer for 65-year-old Terry Borgia says her right to a fair trial was spoiled by improper closing remarks by a Macomb County prosecutor. The appeals court disagrees in a 3-0 opinion released Wednesday.
Borgia reportedly made incriminating statements to police, saying she "snapped," but did not make an outright confession that she drowned DeAngelo Tobia in 2010 at a Clinton Township apartment she shared with her adult daughter, Tonina, the boy's aunt.
A trial attorney said Borgia didn't drown her grandson and was actually covering for her daughter, who had a history of mental illness.
Borgia is serving a no-parole sentence. Three earlier trials ended in mistrials.
TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
