JACKSON COUNTY, MI -- Court documents give a clearer -- and grisly -- look at the scene of a shooting that left three men dead in rural Grass Lake Township.
Several witnesses helped put police on the trail of Zacharie Scott Borton before his arrest, according to a transcript of the warrant swearing in the case, obtained by MLive/Jackson Citizen Patriot.
On Aug. 24, Sgt. Sam Sukovich of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office appeared before Jackson District Judge Daniel Goostrey for a probable cause swearing.
After receiving a panicked 911 call at about 5:50 a.m. on Aug. 22, deputies were dispatched to a home in the 4900 block of Fishville Road in Grass Lake Township for a report of a double shooting, Sukovich testified.
‘They both look dead.’ 911 call details scene at Grass Lake triple homicide
On scene, deputies found a third victim. All three were dead from multiple gunshot wounds, Sukovich said. The victims would later be identified as Michael Pauli, 70, Delmar Fraley, 80, and Edward John Kantzler, 70.
Police also found multiple .40-caliber shell casings at the scene, and noted that Kantzler’s vehicle was missing.
Sukovich spoke with the woman who made the initial 911 call, who said she was a resident of the home. She told police she had come home from work to find the residence shot up and two men -- Pauli and Fraley -- apparently dead, Sukovich said.
Police also spoke with a man and woman who lived in a camper parked behind the home, Sukovich said. The man told police he was woken up at about 4 a.m. by the sound of gunshots. He then heard Kantzler’s vehicle leave, Sukovich said.
The man in the camper said he heard Kantzler outside the home calling for help and “gargling,” Sukovich said. The man told police he did not call 911 because he did not have a phone.
The woman who made the 911 call also told police she had left the home the previous evening, and at the time, two more people were there -- a man named “Zach” -- later identified as suspect Borton, and another woman.
The woman who had been with Borton told police she had been driven home by Pauli earlier that night, Sukovich said. She said only Kantzler, Fraley and Borton were at the house when she left.
Police were later able to identify and speak with Borton’s girlfriend, Sukovich said, who had also visited the residence early in the day, before the shooting. She told police Borton was living with the other men because he was “on the run from something in Grand Rapids,” Sukovich said.
Police were able to identify Borton and determine he had several warrants in Grand Rapids, Sukovich said.
Police then began tracking Borton’s cell phone, showing the phone was in the area of Grass Lake on Aug. 21, before moving to Grand Rapids on Aug. 22.
Borton was found to be staying at a residence in Grand Rapids, Sukovich said. At about 8 p.m. on Aug. 23, police surrounded the building, after which Borton came out and surrendered.
Grand Rapids man charged with three counts of murder in Jackson County slaying
Sukovich later spoke with the man who owned the house in Grand Rapids. The man told police Borton had come to him the day of the shooting and told him he had done “something stupid,” Sukovich said.
A woman who lived in the same building told police she had come home to find Borton sleeping on her couch with a gun on the floor, Sukovich said. She said she confronted Borton about news stories that had been published about the shooting, to which Borton told her she would have to know the full story to understand, Sukovich said.
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After his arrest, Borton was read his Miranda Rights and questioned at the Grand Rapids Police Department, Sukovich said.
Borton told police he had been woken up by gunfire the morning of the shooting, and Pauli came into his room shortly afterward, holding a handgun. Borton said he then used his own .40-caliber handgun to shoot Pauli, Sukovich testified.
Borton said he then shot Fraley because he thought Fraley was going to kill him, Sukovich said. Borton told police that Pauli had been the one who killed Kantzler. Borton said he took the gun Pauli had been holding and left in Kantzler’s car, Sukovich said.
In his testimony, Sukovich said Borton’s claims were disputed by the fact that Pauli had been found holding a lighter in his hand -- meaning he could not have been holding a gun.
Police found two handguns at the Grand Rapids home where Borton was arrested -- a .40 caliber and a .38 caliber. Borton said these were the guns used in the shooting, Sukovich testified.
Borton also told police he had taken Kantzler’s vehicle and one of the victims’ credit cards from the scene, using the card to buy gas on his way to Grand Rapids, Sukovich said.
Borton, 43, was arraigned on Aug. 24 before Jackson County District Judge Joseph Filip on six charges relating to the shooting, including three counts of open murder -- one count for each victim -- as well as auto theft, unauthorized use of a credit card and second offense of felon in possession of a firearm. Each charge of open murder carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Borton is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 15 for a third probable cause hearing, with “some testimony” tentatively set to begin Oct. 25.
Borton is being held without bond in the Jackson County Jail.
More from the Jackson Citizen Patriot:
Vacant Jackson home damaged in early morning fire
Man sentenced to prison for armed robbery at Jackson County Menards
City of Jackson sells 6 more properties for more than $100K
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