A Macomb County jury on Wednesday convicted Kayvon Briscoe Hall of second-degree murder and felony firearm in the October 2025 shooting death of his live-in partner, 63-year-old Roger Willie. The verdict came at the end of a five-day trial, with jurors deliberating for less than two hours before finding him guilty. Hall now faces a possible life sentence on the murder charge, along with a mandatory two-year term on the firearm count, and is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 19.
According to ClickOnDetroit, jurors returned the guilty verdict Wednesday after the five-day trial that began July 7. The outlet reported that the second-degree murder conviction is punishable by life or any term of years, and that the felony-firearm conviction carries a two-year sentence that must be served consecutively to the main term. ClickOnDetroit also noted that the jury deliberated for under two hours before reaching its decision.
How the case unfolded
Prosecutors say officers responded to a report of a shooting on Oct. 2, 2025, and found Willie unresponsive with apparent gunshot wounds. First responders administered aid before he was taken to Henry Ford Macomb Hospital, where he later died, according to a press release from the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office. Police detained Hall outside the home, the press release states, and the second-degree murder and felony-firearm charges were brought after preliminary hearings.
Early court proceedings included a two-day preliminary exam and a defense request for a competency evaluation, coverage at the time indicated. Prosecutors played a recording of Hall's 911 call during pretrial proceedings, per reporting by CBS Detroit. The competency motion was granted during the January hearings.
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido praised the jury's work and said the verdict "holds the defendant accountable for a senseless act of violence," local coverage reported. The prosecutor's office has said it remains committed to pursuing justice for victims, according to ClickOnDetroit.
Hall's attorney, Grace Crivello of the Macomb County public defender's office, was not immediately available for comment, The Detroit News reported. The defense previously raised competency questions and has not released a statement since the jury's verdict.
Sentencing and penalties
Hall is scheduled to be sentenced by Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Kathryn Viviano on Aug. 19, when prosecutors will seek a consecutive two-year term for the felony firearm charge in addition to the murder sentence. The prosecutor's office has noted that the charges carry a wide potential range of punishment, since second-degree murder can mean life in prison or a term of years, and the Macomb County press release lays out the formal counts in the case. The office has said the prosecution reflects its focus on pursuing violent crime in the county.
Hoodline first reported on the case when Briscoe-Hall was bound over for trial in January; today's verdict marks the first major courtroom resolution in the matter. For background on the early proceedings, see when Briscoe-Hall was bound over for trial.
