A Michigan man is arrested and charged with murder for killing his next door neighbor after seeing her blowing snow out of his driveway.
according to court documents 63 Year-Old Wendell Earl Popejoy, of Ottawa County confessed to shooting Sheila Bonge, 59.
Popejoy, told Detectives that he made the decision to kill Sheila after seeing her blowing snow from the easement driveway in front of his home in the 14000 block of 104th Avenue.
On Dec. 26 Wendell stated that he decided to kill Sheila once he saw her during a hearing Sunday, according to a court transcript.
“He then grabbed a gun from his home. He went out to the easement where Sheila was blowing the snow. Wendell stated that he went up behind Sheila and shot her in the back of the head and disposed of her body behind his residence.”
Police found Bonge’s body two days later. She had been reported missing by relatives earlier that week after last being seen on Dec. 24 at her home, MLive.com reports. Popejoy was arrested on Dec. 29 and was arraigned Tuesday in Grand Haven District Court on charges of open murder and using a firearm in commission of a felony.
Details of the relationship between Bonge and Popejoy are unclear, but a friend of Bonge’s told WZZM that she had ongoing disputes with several neighbors. One of the woman’s neighbors — not Popejoy — unsuccessfully sought a protection order against Bonge and her fiancé, according to court documents obtained by the station. The order, pertaining to a disagreement regarding Bonge’s use of an easement, was not granted, however.
Deputies from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office had been called to the neighborhood more than five times recently for disputes between neighbors, WOOD reports.
Popejoy remains held without bail at the Ottawa County Jail, records show. He’s due to return to court for a probable cause conference Jan. 10.