A woman has been found guilty of the brutal killing of her husband, a crime that took place over two decades ago.
Beverly McCallum, now 63 years old, was convicted of second-degree murder and disinterment and mutilation of a body.
The victim, Roberto Caraballo, was discovered dead in a metal footlocker near a blueberry field in Ottawa County in 2002.
The jury deliberated for only a couple of hours before reaching their verdict.
Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd described the case as resembling something from a movie, especially during McCallum's testimony, which he found nonsensical.
According to Lloyd, McCallum's actions and testimony suggested she was the mastermind behind the crime, with her oldest daughter, Dineane Ducharme, and Ducharme's friend, Christopher McMillan, being accomplices.
The motive for the murder remained unclear until the trial, when it was revealed that tensions arose after Caraballo moved in with the family following his release from federal prison.
McCallum's desire for a different lifestyle allegedly led to the planning of Caraballo's murder.
During the trial, it was argued that McCallum, Ducharme, and McMillan conspired to kill Caraballo, with McCallum being the driving force behind the plan.
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However, McCallum's defense attorney claimed that she was not directly involved in the killing but was coerced into helping dispose of the body.
McCallum was apprehended in Italy in 2020 and brought back to Michigan in 2022 to stand trial.
McMillan and Ducharme had already been convicted in connection with Caraballo's murder.
McMillan, the prosecution's key witness, testified that he, Ducharme, and McCallum planned and executed the murder.
Despite McCallum's denial of involvement, evidence presented during the trial, including testimony from her own daughter, Sicily Caraballo, contradicted her claims.
Sicily testified that her mother had confessed to her involvement in her father's murder, undermining McCallum's defense.
The investigation spanned several years and involved multiple law enforcement agencies.
Detectives worked tirelessly to gather evidence and build a case against the defendants.
While all three initially faced first-degree murder charges, McCallum's extradition from Europe resulted in a second-degree murder charge due to legal constraints.
McCallum's sentencing is scheduled for May 23, where she faces the possibility of life in prison.
The verdict brings some closure to a case that has haunted the community for over two decades.
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