MUSKEGON, Mich. — On June 23, 2019 the mother of 61-year old Curtis Stoval found him dead on the floor of his apartment at Bayview Towers in downtown Muskegon.
At a trial that started Tuesday in Muskegon County Circuit Court, Prosecutor D.J. Hilson told jurors that Stovall's hands and ankles were bound by duct tape and his body had been stabbed 188 times.
A neighbor of Stovall, 61-year old Pamela Harvey is charged with first-degree premeditated murder for Stovall's death. Stovall's apartment was on the second floor of Bayview Towers, Harvey's was on the ninth floor.
"Mr. Stovall's death was not quick and instantiations, but slow and painful," Hilson told jurors during opening statements.
Hilson says key to the case will be video from security cameras at Bayview Towers and business located in downtown Muskegon that show an "overdressed" and "hooded figure" entering Stovall's apartment and leaving with two white plastic garbage bags that appear to be filled with items.
Hilson said Harvey's motive for the murder is the result of Harvey believing Stovall had information about crimes committed against her and her daughter and didn't go to police.
During opening statements, Muskegon County Public Defender Manda Mitteer raised questions about the Muskegon Police Department's investigation. Mitteer said her client seemed to be the only person investigators focused on.
"Pretty much focused all of their efforts on making this case fit to Pam Harvey," Mitteer said.
And according to Mitteer, jurors will learn during the course of the trial a knife found inside Stovall's apartment won't connect her client to the crime scene.
"The knife was nicely placed next to the kitchen sink," said Mitteer, "That has Curtis' blood on it, but my client's DNA is not on there."
Hilson told jurors Harvey's DNA was located the on duct tape wrapped around Stovall's wrists and ankles.
The court has scheduled the case to last the rest of the week.
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