FLINT, MI – A man from Genesee County was given a probation sentence on Monday after admitting guilt for manslaughter and agreeing to testify against his co-defendant during the trial.
Robert Earl Steele, aged 43, was instructed on August 14th to complete a 24-month probation period, with acknowledgment of time already served due to a previous conviction for manslaughter.
Initially facing 15 felony charges related to the fatal shooting of Wanda Gardner and the assault on two others, Steele’s plea hearing led to the dismissal of most charges, leaving only manslaughter.
On July 21, 2019, near Avenue A on Saginaw Street between Hamilton and Pasadena avenues, a group of three individuals, consisting of two women and one man, were traveling northbound in a vehicle. Testimony during the trial revealed that their vehicle was struck by 30 gunshots fired from another vehicle.
The incident resulted in the death of 26-year-old Flint resident Garner and left one person in critical condition, with another sustaining serious gunshot injuries to both hands.
Following the gunfire, the vehicle responsible collided with the victims’ vehicle, causing it to crash into another car head-on. While the driver of the responsible vehicle stayed at the scene, surveillance footage depicted two other individuals fleeing from the area.
A fingerprint from the vehicle matched that of 30-year-old Christopher Demond Meadows, who was later convicted for his involvement.
In a separate trial in July, Meadows was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, discharging a firearm from a vehicle causing death, discharging a firearm from a vehicle causing serious injury twice, illegal firearm possession, carrying a concealed weapon, and seven counts of firearm-related felonies.
Investigation by the police unveiled that the shooting was a case of mistaken identity, as Meadows intended to target someone else in retaliation for a previous shooting.
Meadows is currently incarcerated at the Genesee County Jail and faces a potential life sentence without parole. His sentencing is scheduled for September.