WYOMING, Mich. — A man who killed a Marathon gas station clerk during a May, 2018 robbery has lost a bid to have his convictions overturned on grounds that his trial lawyer was ineffective.
A Kent County jury found Willie Bryant guilty on three counts, including felony murder, for the shooting death of 48-year-old Shannon Rozanski-Schoen. She died behind the counter of the Marathon station at 28th Street and Buchanan Avenue SW.
Bryant’s lawyer did not present any evidence or witnesses at trial. He did argue that there were weaknesses in the prosecution’s case, including as to eyewitness identification, court records show. He also argued that the investigation was tainted.
Jurors deliberated about 90 minutes before returning guilty verdicts.
Bryant asked for a new trial or a hearing on the effectiveness of his lawyer; the motion was denied.
He then took his case to the Court of Appeals. “An evidentiary hearing to explore this issue further is unnecessary,’’ justices recently wrote in a six-page decision.
A Kent County judge in May of 2019 sentenced Bryant to mandatory life for felony murder and lesser terms for armed robbery and a felony firearms offense.
Surveillance video played for jurors shows Rozanski-Schoen being shot twice. Bryant left the store empty-handed.
An assistant prosecutor called the victim’s death a “cold-blooded execution.’’
Now 36, Bryant is serving his sentence at a state prison in Saginaw County.
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