'How is it fair?': Family of children killed in boat club crash demand justice at vigil

Michael Hatfield doesn't have anything to say to the Newport woman charged with second-degree murder in the deaths of his young niece and nephew.

"Honestly, we ain't even going to give her that glory," Hatfield, 37, said Friday at a vigil for 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and 4-year-old Zayn Phillips.

"We ain't even going to address her. As much as we want to … I don’t even feel like she deserves that."

The injustice his family feels could be seen at the vigil, from the redness of their eyes to the way they held one another as a crowd of over 100 participants prayed for them, candles in hand. Nicholas Phillips, another uncle to the two children, couldn't talk about Alanah and Zayn without breaking down.

The vigil was held at Newport's Swan Boat Club, where authorities allege Marshella Chidester, 66, was intoxicated when she slammed an SUV into a birthday party on April 20, killing the two children and injuring more than a dozen others. Her lawyer says a medical issue, not alcohol, caused the crash.

More: Woman charged in Monroe County boat club crash released on $1.5M bond

Among the injured is the children's mother Mariah Dodds, and their 11-year-old brother, Jayden Phillips. Both suffered serious injuries and remain hospitalized.

The scene where the tragedy occurred has become a makeshift memorial, the gaping hole in the building has been boarded up, and prayer and song filled the air. Twisted metal and debris left over from the crash were replaced with stuffed animals, candles, crosses, and a note from Alanah's friend Piper, who wrote: "I miss you so much. I wish you were here with me."

Just down the gravel road from the boat club lives Chidester, who was charged with eight crimes in total related to the crash, including two counts of second-degree murder and another two counts of driving while intoxicated causing death.

Chidester's attorney Bill Colovos has said that his client suffers from neuropathy and has "epileptic type seizures" in her legs. He said she had only one glass of wine that day. He said Chidester "blacked out" from a seizure when she crashed into the boat club and is "very remorseful."

More: Woman charged in Monroe County boat club crash released on $1.5M bond

Monroe County Prosecutor Jeffery Yorkey argued in court earlier this week that a preliminary alcohol breath test for Chidester was "significantly over the legal limit" but he was not specific. He claimed Chidester admitted to authorities she had been drinking that day and pointed to a history of "severe substance abuse" allegedly corroborated by friends and family of Chidester.

On Thursday, Chidester was released from Monroe County Jail after posting $1.5 million bond via a surety company.

Both Hatfield and Phillips said at the vigil that the family sees her release as a failure of the justice system.

Most of their family members can't sleep or eat, Phillips, 33, said. And Hatfield's children, who arrived at the birthday party less than five minutes after the tragedy occurred, wake up in the middle of the night screaming, "why is there so much blood?" Hatfield said.

"And she's sitting right there, four houses down," Phillips said. "How is it fair?"

Zayn, Phillips said, was "still a baby" who loved to play games and watch CoComelon on his father's phone. Alanah, he said, was their "little princess," who loved her father so much.

"They were life," Hatfield said. "They were little balls of joy. They were babies."

The vigil ended with the soft singing of "Amazing Grace" from the crowd as community members began to approach and wrap their warmth around the family of the killed children.

And it ended with a message from Hatfield:

"I hope this is a message to drunk drivers," he said.

"And I hope my family will finally get the justice we deserve."

Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at 313-264-0442 or asahouri@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Family of children killed in boat club crash demand justice at vigil