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Ottawa County man charged with murdering wife headed to trial

Police said he shot himself in the face after killing his wife.

The man who allegedly shot and killed his wife – then turned the gun on himself – will sit before a jury on murder charges.

Michael Scott McNeal, 55, is facing possible life in prison for charges of open murder and felony use of a firearm. Judge Craig Bunce bound over his case to circuit court after a preliminary examination on Wednesday, Jan. 9.

McNeal’s wife Sherrilee, 53, was found dead in a trailer outside the couple’s home in Port Sheldon Township on July 24, 2018 around 3:30 a.m. Police said it was a friend, playing online video games with McNeals’ son, who called 911 and after gunshots were heard.

The first deputy to arrive, Tyler VanDoeselaar, said McNeal was shirtless and covering his bloody face with a towel. He told VanDoeselaar he shot himself and Sherrilee.

Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Cohle, based in Grand Rapids, said Sherrilee was shot three times with a 25-06 bolt-action rifle. The fatal shot went through her neck.

In an interview a few weeks after the shooting, McNeal said he was angry at his wife for starting an online relationship with another man, said Detective David Bytwerk, the lead on the case. McNeal told Bytwerk he found his wife in the trailer that morning and believed she was communicating with the man.

“She had been kind of hiding the phone,” Bytwerk said. “He then explained that he had gone to the barn, got…a gun, came back and shot her.”

McNeal told Bytwerk no one else was involved in the shooting. McNeal’s bond was denied and his next court appearance is Feb. 1 for an arraignment in circuit court.

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