Stephen Freeman, 23, already convicted in the death of a Roseville woman, has now added a stack of jailhouse assault charges to his legal problems. Prosecutors say he pleaded no contest yesterday to four assault or attempted-assault cases tied to his time in the Macomb County Jail. Sentencing on those pleas is set for July 10. Freeman also remains at the center of the separate 2022 killing of 62-year-old Gabriele Seitz and is awaiting a Miller hearing that could decide whether he spends life in prison or receives a term of years.
Plea in jail assaults
According to CBS Detroit, Freeman entered no-contest pleas on April 16 to four assault or attempted-assault counts stemming from separate incidents inside the Macomb County Jail. The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office has said those pleas will be wrapped into the July 10 sentencing date. Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido told CBS the additional convictions will have “limited practical impact” given Freeman’s existing murder conviction.
How prosecutors say the Roseville killing unfolded
Prosecutors allege Freeman broke into Seitz’s Roseville home on Oct. 27, 2022, sexually assaulted her, strangled her with a shoelace and wrapped her body in what appeared to be bedsheets before placing it in her truck, according to a press release from the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office. Authorities say Freeman then drove the vehicle until it crashed near Hayes and Common roads, ran off and was later arrested, and that officers discovered Seitz’s body in the truck bed. Local coverage of the conviction and trial was published by ClickOnDetroit.
Legal process and what's next
Per CBS Detroit, a Miller hearing will determine whether Freeman is sentenced to life in prison or to a term of years for the murder conviction, while the jail-assault pleas will be addressed at the July sentencing. Freeman was convicted in September 2025 of six felonies, including first-degree premeditated murder, after a two-week jury trial, according to reporting. Defense motions and future court scheduling could still shift the calendar, and prosecutors say they will update the public as hearings are formally set.
County records indicate Freeman has remained in custody since his original arraignment, and upcoming dockets will spell out the timing for the Miller hearing and final sentencing in the murder case. Prosecutors and court clerks remain the official channels for the latest information on those proceedings.
