Background: Shuvonne Vinson in court on Aug. 5 (WJBK). Inset: Alleged victim Jeffrey Bernhard speaks during Vinson”s hearing (WJBK).
A Michigan court hearing became heated after a defendant apparently refused to stay quiet during her alleged victim’s testimony.
Shuvonne Vinson, 43, appeared in a Washtenaw County court on Tuesday for a preliminary examination after she was charged with 10 felonies including two counts of open murder, one count of assault with intent to commit murder, kidnapping, and home invasion. Vinson faces charges in connection to the Jan. 1 homicides of 48-year-old Jennifer Lyn Bernhard and 74-year-old Stevie Ray Smith and the attempted homicide of 52-year-old Jeffrey Alan Bernhard.
The three alleged victims were part of a foster family with a 9-year-old child of their own who were taking care of Vinson’s 4-year-old daughter. Vinson and two other men are also accused of kidnapping the two children.
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Jeffrey Bernhard was critically wounded in the alleged attack, but survived and provided testimony at Tuesday’s hearing, which was carried by local Fox affiliate WJBK. While on the stand, Jeffrey Bernhard told the court that after Vinson allegedly stormed into their home with two other men — Gregory Callhan and Keith Finley — she accused Jennifer Bernhard of “not letting [her daughter] believe in God,” and calling the foster family “evil and demonic and things like that because we wouldn’t let her believe in God.”
When asked by the prosecutor if that was true, Jeffrey Bernhard said it was not, that it was the “opposite” situation. He stated that his father-in-law was an ordained pastor and his wife had been an ordained minister, and the family would bring both children to church with them twice a week. The children were enrolled in Sunday school and their bedtime routine included reading the Bible and Christian lullabies.
Bernhard stated that he and his wife attempted to deescalate the alleged confrontation after Vinson made several accusations and allegedly told the couple that she was a “gangster” and “planned this all out,” adding that she said, “I don’t care if I spend the rest of my life in jail.” Eventually, Jeffrey Bernhard stated, Vinson asked, “Where do you keep the money?”
After describing the alleged attack, Bernhard said that Vinson’s daughter had actually tried to give him and his wife a hug before she was taken out of the house. He stated, “The other thing that made Miss Vinson very upset was [her daughter] referred to us as ‘Mommy and Daddy.'”
During Vinson’s video arraignment in January, she accused the Bernhards of harming her daughter, saying, “They assaulted my motherf—ing child” and “Those motherf—ers deserved to die” before storming out. Jeffrey Bernhard was asked about these allegations of “physical and sexual abuse” by Vinson’s attorney and stated that he was unaware of any such complaints until after the alleged attack.
Jeffrey Bernhard stated that on the night of the alleged shooting, “Miss Vinson never mentioned anything about sexual abuse or physical abuse.”
Vinson, from her seat at the defendant’s table, said, “You’re lying.”
Judge Simpson interrupted the hearing and warned, “Stop, that’s twice. I warned counsel, and counsel warned you. She can step out. Take her, because I’m not having it.”
Vinson was then removed from the courtroom before the hearing continued with more witnesses.
Vinson is being held in custody without bond. A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Oct. 1.
