Jury finds Stroud guilty of murder
By Stacey Creasy
cnhi News Service
SOUTH BEND � Phillip Stroud may be executed for murdering three Marshall County men on Sept. 14, 2000.
A St. Joseph County jury deliberated for nearly 11 hours Friday and Saturday before finding Stroud guilty of three counts of murder, three counts of felony murder, two counts of armed robbery, and single counts of burglary and attempted robbery.
The charges are in connection to the shooting deaths of Wayne Shumaker, 58 of Plymouth, Corby Myers, 30, of Bremen and Lynn Ganger, 44, of Bremen.
The verdict means Stroud, 23, can be sentenced to death for his crimes.
Shumaker, Myers and Ganger were construction workers who were working in a barn at the Sears� farm near Lakeville. They were on the first day of the job when Stroud and three other men went to burglarize the Sears� home.
One of Stroud�s co-defendants in the case, 19-year-old Charity Payne of North Liberty, told Stroud the residence contained a number of valuable items. Payne was blamed for leading the men to the Sears� home on Sept. 14. She was also the one who led police to the suspects in the case when she learned of the murders.
Payne has already been convicted of murder and burglary charges. She testified against Stroud in the trail.
When Stroud, 24-year-old Ronald Carter, Tyrone Wade and Kerel Seabrooks, all of Detroit, went to the Sears� home, they discovered there were men working in the barn.
Stroud and his co-defendants approached the barn. Stroud ordered the victims be tied up. As Carter attempted to tell the victims they will be all right, Stroud told him to shut up and one by one, shot each man in the head.
Carter also testified against Stroud in exchange for a 55-year prison term.
During the trial, no witnesses were called to testify on Stroud�s behalf.
Since Stroud was the trigger man in the case, family members and friends of the victims, were relieved to see Stroud convicted of all charges.
While some of the family members favor life in prison without parole, others want the death penalty.
�My stepfather was not given the chance to live. Why should he?� Sheila Gibson, Wayne Shumaker�s stepdaughter said earlier this year. �I think he should die.�
The jury began the death penalty sentencing phase Monday.
In the remaining cases, Payne has yet to be sentenced. She may receive a reduced sentence if she continues to cooperate in the other trails. Her next court date is set for Aug. 27.
Kerel Seabrooks, 23, Wade, 31 will be tried later this year. The state is seeking life without parole in both cases.
Curtiss Smith, 26, of South Bend, and George Tinsley 23, of Detroit have been charged with lesser crimes, will also be tried later this year.
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