James Shirah had run over his wedding witness, Terry Taylor Jr., with his SUV after a “dispute” that occurred on the evening of his wedding in Michigan on August 30, 2024.
A 26-year-old man was sentenced on Monday, May 11, 2026, to at least 30 years behind bars for killing his wedding witness after a dispute two years earlier. Terry Taylor Jr, 29, was violently run over with an SUV and taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, as reported by The Guardian.
Hit-and-run:
James Shirah was 24 years old when he married Savannah Collier on August 30, 2024, in a pizzeria surrounded by their loved ones, before continuing the evening at a house. It was during this gathering that the two “best friends,” according to the convict, allegedly got into a heated argument. After being absent for a few minutes, James Shirah returned behind the wheel of his SUV and ran over his witness. The subject and reason for the dispute have not been disclosed since.
According to Le Parisien, the young couple then left the party which had turned into a crime scene before presenting themselves at the police station the day after the incident.
His wife to be judged soon:
While he did not contest the facts or his conviction for second-degree murder, driving with a suspended license resulting in death, and hit-and-run at the scene of an accident he caused that led to death, James Shirah clarified that he never “intended” to kill Terry Taylor Jr. But he accepts “full responsibility”; in tears, the convict wished to “express his apologies and remorse” to the victim’s relatives who were present during his trial. “I will be sorry forever.”
As reported by the local newspaper MLive, his wife Savannah Collier is expected to appear before the Michigan court on May 26 for complicity.
Context: James Shirah was convicted of killing his wedding witness following a dispute on the evening of his marriage in Michigan in 2024.
Fact Check: The convict was sentenced to at least 30 years in prison for the crime.
