BATTLE CREEK, MI (WTVB) – One of the four suspects charged in Branch County by the State Attorney General’s Office with being involved in a plot to kidnap, rape and kill a randomly selected child entered a plea in a separate Calhoun County case Monday.
The Battle Creek Enquirer reports 32-year-old Matthew Toole of Battle Creek entered no contest pleas to two counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct. Toole was scheduled to go on trial next Tuesday in Calhoun County. He is now scheduled to be sentenced March 11 at which time he could get a prison sentence of at least 50 years.
Toole’s girlfriend Talia Furman of Springfield is charged with the same crimes in Calhoun County and is scheduled to go on trial there next Tuesday.
Toole, Furman, David Lee Bailey of Coldwater and Jayme LaPoint of Athens at last report were all scheduled to go on trial March 19t 2019 in Branch County Circuit Court in the case filed by Attorney General’s Office.
Bond for all four defendants has been set at $5 million.
All four were arrested last September following a Michigan State Police investigation.
