Dustyn Frolka murder: 3 accused teens, Samantha Grigg, Brenden Helm, Tyrel Bredernitz appear in court
The three Michigan teenagers who are accused of killing a Michigan State University student in an apparent drug deal last month will appear in court Thursday.
Samantha Grigg
Samantha Grigg, 18, Brendan Heim, 16, and Tyrel Bredernitz, 18, are all charged with felony murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery in the Feb. 15 death of Dustyn Frolka, MLive detailed in a Mar. 3 report.
This preliminary hearing today is expected to short or suspended to allow lawyers more time to prepare their cases.
Police reported that the teens used brass knuckles on the victim, then threw him from a moving vehicle along Interstate 69, where he was found unresponsive. He died en route to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.
Clinton County Prosecutor Charles Sherman told reporters last week that he believes drug money was a motive for the robbery.
Authorities don’t know how the victim knew the three teens, but Frolka’s Twitter account included Tweets mentioning that he expected to try the hallucinogenic drug DMT the evening he died, MLive reported.
All three suspects were arrested in the week which followed and searches of their homes turned up drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Frolka was arrested by Michigan State University police on Jan. 31 for cocaine possession and was kicked out of the university’s dorms after being arraigned on Feb. 1.
