Groom sentenced to 30 years for killing groomsman, bride pleads guilty

A Michigan groom who police said intentionally ran over one of his groomsman after his wedding has been sentenced to at least three decades in prison after pleading no contest to charges including murder.

James Shirah, 24, of Flint, was handed down the sentence by Judge Khary Hanible in Genesee County Circuit Court on May 11, court records show.

The Flint Police Department said Shirah was driving an SUV on Aug. 30, 2024, in a residential area in the city's northside when he intentionally ran over and killed 29-year-old Terry Lewis Taylor Jr.

Prosecutors charged Shirah with second-degree murder, driving with a suspended license and failure to stop at the scene of a crash resulting in death. Shirah pleaded no contest to all three charges on April 14, court records show.

Shirah’s bride, Savanah N. Collier, was also arrested after Taylor's death on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact to a felony. She pleaded guilty to the charge on April 14, court records show,

“I will forever be sorry,” local news outlet MLive.com reported Shirah told the court during the sentencing hearing, saying he was not a killer. “It was not intentional. That was my best friend... Terry was my brother."

“I believe that you are not a criminal. You are, however, a killer,” the outlet reported the judge said following Shirah’s statement to the court.

The judge then sentenced Shirah to a minimum of 30 years up to 45 years in prison for the crimes.

On the night of the killing, Flint police responded to a reported pedestrian-injury crash at about 8 p.m., according to a Facebook post from the department.

Officers found Taylor with severe injuries. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An investigation by detectives revealed that earlier that day, Taylor had gone to a wedding as a groomsman. After the wedding, he had an argument with someone that then led to him being intentionally hit by the SUV.

Taylor's obituary remembered him as a loving father and friend who loved his dog, fishing, and riding bikes and four-wheelers. At the time of his death, Taylor left behind his own bride-to-be and several children.

Bride set for sentencing after groomsman killed

Collier, who court records show is age 23, is set to be sentenced in the case on May 26.

Online records showed Collier remained free on a $4,000 bond on May 12.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.