Woman Charged In Monroe County Birthday Crash Posts $1.5M Bond

BERLIN TOWNSHIP, MI — A woman who was charged with murder after police said she crashed her SUV into a Monroe County building where a kid's birthday party was being held was released from jail after posting a $1.5 million bond Thursday morning, according to the Monroe County inmate information and court roster website.

Marshella Chidester, 66, was arrested after police said she crashed her SUV into the Swan Boat Club in the 6300 block of Brancheau Road in Berlin Township last Saturday while driving drunk.

Chidester was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated (OWI) causing death and four counts of OWI causing serious injury. She was placed in the Monroe County Jail on a $1.5 million bond. Her next court date is April 30.

Alanah Phillips, 8, and Zayn Phillips, 4, were killed in the crash and multiple others were injured in the crash, including a 31-year-old woman and an 11-year-old male who were still in critical condition while three others, an 18-year-old female, a 16-year-old girl, and a 14-year-old boy, were still in serious condition, according to police.

Mariah Dodds, who also suffered serious injuries in the crash, filed a lawsuit after her children Alanah Phillips, 8, and Zayn Phillips, 4, were killed in the crash. The civil lawsuit was filed against Chidester and Verna's Tavern, where police believe Chidester was at before the crash, and seeks damages of whatever amount above $25,000 is fair, interest on the judgment plus court costs, along with "other relief as is just."

Chidester's defense attorney said at her Tuesday morning arraignment that she only drank one glass of wine and ate a bowl of chili for lunch just hours before the crash. He also said that Chidester had experienced a type of neuropathy that affected her legs.

A GoFundMe page was created to help the family pay for funeral services. As of Thursday afternoon, the page raised more than $222,000, exceeding its goal of $200,000.

A separate GoFundMe page was created to help other victims who were taken to the hospital. As of Thursday afternoon, the page raised $17,569, short of its $15,000 goal.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau at 734-240-7530.