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PRESS RELEASE

Date:            October 1, 2009

Contact:        John Potbury, Special Assistant Prosecuting Attorney

                    810-257-3215

Cold Case is Hot Again:

Prosecutor Leyton Announces Murder Charges Stemming from 1991 Double Homicide in Flint

FLINT –  Commenting that justice never sleeps, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton announced today that he has charged a Flint man in the 1991 murders of two men whose bodies were found in a van near a former Flint elementary school.

Beinville Hamilton Alexander, 43, of Flint, has been charged with six felonies, including two counts of first degree murder, in the fatal shootings of Anthony Bray, 30, and Melvin Walton, 48.

On October 1, 1991, the bodies of Bray and Walton were found by Flint police in a van that was parked at the end of Verdun Street near the former Pierson Elementary School on the city’s north side.  Both victims died from gunshot wounds to the back of the head.

The City’s homicide squad was called to investigate and it was determined that Alexander had lost around $900 to Bray in a gambling dice game earlier in the evening at Bray’s house.  According to witnesses, the pair left Bray’s house together.  Around 1:00 am on October 1, Bray’s brother received a call from Bray who said that Alexander had more money and he wanted to gamble some more.  Twenty minutes after that phone call, police found Bray’s blood-covered body lying between the driver’s and passenger’s seats.  Walton’s body was found in the passenger’s seat, also heavily soiled by blood.

At the time of the investigation in 1991, DNA testing was not routine and it was not performed in this case.  Some years later, when DNA testing was available at the Michigan State Police crime lab, a blood sample found on a jacket belonging to the suspect Alexander was sent for testing.  It was determined the blood was too deteriorated for DNA testing.  The police kept the case file open and retained all the evidence in their inventory.

In 2008, a private lab in Texas was located that could test deteriorated blood samples for DNA.  The blood evidence in this case was sent to the Texas lab and the results were given to police.  Based on this new evidence, police brought a warrant request to Prosecutor Leyton for his review.

With the new DNA profile from the blood sample and all the evidence previously obtained and preserved, including physical evidence and witness statements, Prosecutor Leyton authorized the following charges against Alexander:

COUNT 1:  HOMICIDE - MURDER FIRST DEGREE – PREMEDITATED in the death of Melvin Walton

Maximum Penalty:  Life

COUNT 2:  HOMICIDE - MURDER FIRST DEGREE – PREMEDITATED in the death of Anthony Bray

Maximum Penalty:  Life

COUNT 3:  HOMICIDE - FELONY MURDER in the death of Melvin Walton

Penalty:  Life without parole

COUNT 4:  HOMICIDE - FELONY MURDER in the death of Anthony Bray

Penalty:  Life without parole

COUNT 5:  WEAPONS - FIREARMS - POSSESSION BY FELON
Maximum Penalty:  5 Years and/or $5,000.00

COUNT 6:  WEAPONS - FELONY FIREARM

Maximum Penalty:  2 Years consecutively with and preceding any term of imprisonment imposed for the underlying felony or attempted felony conviction.

“This case proves that justice never sleeps,” said Prosecutor Leyton as he announced the charges against Alexander.

“I want to commend the City of Flint police department, particularly Detectives Gary Elford and Greg Hosmer, and their dogged determination in solving this case,” he said.

“Even though 18 years have passed since these two men were killed, our determination in holding the perpetrator accountable is just as strong as if it happened yesterday,” said Prosecutor Leyton.

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