James VanCallis is accused of murdering 14-year-old April Millsap back in July of 2014. He's charged with First Degree Murder, Kidnapping and Assault With Intent To Commit Sexual Penetration.
The day she was killed, April Millsap was out walking her dog, Penny, on the Macomb Orchard trail in Armada.
Tuesday Donnie VanCallis, the suspect’s younger brother, took the stand. He testified James showed up at his Armada Township home, just outside of the city of Armada, in the evening the day of the murder.
Donnie told the court he cooperated with investigators, but would not immediately give his cell phone to police, when investigators approached him after the crime.
He said while State Police, the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI were investigating the murder of the young teen, his brother made an odd request. According to Donnie VanCallis, his brother asked him to delete their text exchanges.
Donnie VanCallis later said did not delete any text messages. It is not clear what was said in those messages at this time.
It came out in court that Donnie VanCallis eventually handed over his phone to investigators.
James Vancallis’ brother told the court the day of the crime, he had been smoking marijuana with friends when James came to his Armada Township home, which was not too far away from where the murder was committed.
In cross-examination by the defense, Donnie VanCallis said the day of the crime his brother was acting normal.
Earlier in testimony, investigators from the State Police and Macomb County Sheriff’s Department took the stand. They told the jury they used April’s fitness app to track her cell phone’s whereabouts and they found a nearby home’s surveillance camera, which captured a man on a motorcycle driving toward the area where April’s phone was found.
The video was recorded at the same time it was being tracked on the app.
Prosecution argues he motorcycle looks just like VanCallis’s bike.
