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Pickett Jr. convicted of second-degree murder for killing five cyclists in crash

Charles Pickett Jr.
Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office

A jury in Kalamazoo found Charles Pickett Jr. guilty of second-degree murder today. 

The Battle Creek man was under the influence of depressants when he crashed his pickup truck into nine cyclists in June 2016. Five died and four were injured a result of the crash. 

Pickett, who knowingly consumed a handful of pills hours before the crash, could spend the rest of his life in prison, but he has yet to be sentenced. 

The jury found Pickett guilty of five counts of second-degree murder, five counts of driving while intoxicated causing death, and four counts of driving while intoxicated causing injury. 

The trial began last week and several witnesses spoke to the damage Pickett's truck did on the deceased and the survivors, Pickett's heavy drug use, and his erratic driving at the time of the accident. 

Bryce Huffman was Michigan Radio’s West Michigan Reporter and host of Same Same Different. He is currently a reporter for Bridge Detroit.
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