A Michigan jury convicted a Highland Township man Thursday of murdering his fiancee, the mother of his infant son, last year.
Michael Devon Webb, 23, was found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder. Jurors also convicted him of felony firearm. Webb said the shooting was an accident. The jury did not believe him. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 7.
The killing happened on April 15, 2025. Webb shot his fiancee in the neck. It happened at their home. The home was in the Highland Hills mobile home community. That community is in Highland Township, Michigan. She was pronounced dead at the scene. She was 23 years old. She was the same age as Webb. She was the mother of his baby.
The couple had an infant son together. He was six months old at the time of the shooting. Officers found the baby inside the home. He was not hurt.
Webb reported the shooting himself. He called 911 right after it happened. He told dispatchers the shooting was an accident. He said he had been cleaning his gun when it went off. He also claimed he had accidentally shot himself, according to officials. Those claims came directly from Webb the day of the killing.
Jurors heard a different story during the trial. They heard that the victim had texted a family member the day she died. In that text, she said she was afraid for her life, according to officials. She sent that text the same day as the shooting. Jurors weighed that evidence against Webb's account of an accident.
Her obituary described her after her death. It said she was "effortlessly hilarious, with a laugh that was truly contagious and she had a way of making even the hardest moments seem lighter." The obituary also called her "the best mom in the world." According to the obituary, she is survived by her son, her adoptive parent, four siblings, and a best friend.
Oakland County Circuit Judge Michael Warren presided over the trial. The trial started July 13. It ended with the guilty verdict Thursday. Jurors convicted Webb on both counts. Those counts were first-degree premeditated murder and felony firearm.
First-degree premeditated murder means Webb planned the killing ahead of time. It is not the same as an accident. The charge is punishable by life in prison without parole. Webb was convicted of both charges from the same trial.
The shooting took place in April 2025. The trial did not start until July 2026. That is more than a year later. The trial itself lasted only a few days before jurors reached their verdict.
The verdict was reported by The Oakland Press, a newspaper based in Oakland County, Michigan.
Webb is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 7. He faces up to life in prison without parole. That means he could never be released. Judge Warren oversaw the case from the start of the trial through the guilty verdict. The sentencing hearing is the next step in the case.
Webb told officials the shooting was an accident right after it happened. The jury instead found he planned the killing. The case now moves toward sentencing in Oakland County Circuit Court.
The guilty verdict closes the trial phase of the case. Sentencing will determine how long Webb spends behind bars. The maximum possible penalty remains life in prison without parole.
