An Oakland County judge is set to decide the next moves in a deeply rattling Royal Oak homicide case, after prosecutors shifted it to circuit court this week. Nathaniel Rockwell, 32, is accused of fatally shooting a maintenance worker at the Devon Park Apartments on July 31, 2025, and now faces a potential first-degree murder trial along with multiple gun charges as neighbors wait for the next hearing.
Charges and the next day in court
Nathaniel Joshua-Olson Rockwell is charged with one count of first-degree murder, three counts of felony firearm and two counts of felonious assault with a dangerous weapon, according to a press release from the Royal Oak Police Department. As reported by The Oakland Press, he waived his right to a preliminary exam in 44th District Court, and the case has been bound over to Oakland County Circuit Court. An arraignment in circuit court is scheduled for March 2, before Judge Daniel O’Brien.
How prosecutors say the shooting unfolded
Royal Oak police were called to the Devon Park Apartments parking lot around noon on July 31, 2025, after multiple 911 calls reported gunfire, according to ClickOnDetroit. Prosecutors say Rockwell, who had been served an eviction notice "due to multiple incidents with firearms," ran to his car, grabbed a handgun and opened fire. The victim, 65-year-old Gregory Hill, was shot about 11 times, several of those shots coming at close range.
A maintenance man neighbors say "didn't deserve this"
Family members and neighbors described Hill as a retired General Motors worker who still kept busy as a part-time maintenance man and was widely liked for the way he helped residents, WXYZ reports. His sister and others said Hill leaves behind a wife and two daughters, and that his killing has left the tight-knit apartment community shaken.
What the charges could mean for Rockwell
Under Michigan law, first-degree premeditated murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, and the felony-firearm and felonious assault charges add additional mandatory prison exposure, according to a press release from the Royal Oak Police Department. Rockwell was denied bond at his August arraignment and remains in the Oakland County Jail, local outlets reported.
The case is next scheduled to be heard in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac on March 2, 2026. Prosecutors say they are continuing to prepare for a possible trial while the victim’s family and neighbors look for answers, as outlined by The Oakland Press. Local reporting indicates Rockwell remains held in the Oakland County Jail as the case moves forward.
