A Center Line man has taken a no-contest plea in the 2025 shooting death of a 24-year-old man outside a Sterling Heights hotel, bringing the case toward a sentence of at least 22 years in prison.
Luke Svacha, 52, appeared Monday in Macomb County Circuit Court and pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and felony firearm charges, according to CBS News Detroit. The plea avoids a trial, but Svacha remains scheduled to be sentenced on September 9.
Fatal Shooting Led Investigators From Sterling Heights To Center Line
Jajuan Marls was found dead in the parking lot of the Extended Stay America hotel on Van Dyke Avenue on February 1, 2025. The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said Svacha allegedly fled to his Center Line home after the shooting and eventually surrendered following hours of negotiations.
ClickOnDetroit reported that police found Marls suffering from a gunshot wound at the hotel and traced the investigation to a home in the 8400 block of State Park Street. Svacha was taken into custody within 12 hours after authorities persuaded him to leave the residence.
The case originally involved first-degree murder, felony firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and resisting or obstructing police charges. In earlier coverage, Hoodline reported that the resisting or obstructing charge had been dropped after a preliminary examination, while the principal murder and weapons charges continued.
Sentencing Agreement Calls For At Least 22 Years
Under the sentencing agreement, Svacha will receive at least 22 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections, according to CBS News Detroit. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said the plea provides accountability for Marls’ death and keeps the case moving toward sentencing.
Michigan court guidance explains that a no-contest plea does not expressly admit guilt, but the court proceeds toward punishment in much the same way as it would after a guilty plea, according to the Michigan Judicial Institute. Svacha’s sentencing hearing is set for September 9 in Macomb County Circuit Court.
