Attorney Says Ferndale Woman Not Mastermind In Murder-for-Hire Plot

The attorney representing a Ferndale woman accused of trying to hire someone to kill her boyfriend’s estranged wife said he doesn’t believe his client is the actual mastermind of the scheme, despite what police said.

“She is not really the mastermind,” said Steven Freers, who is representing Mallorie Louise Wilson-Strat, 24, of Ferndale. Wilson-Strat is accused along with four other individuals of trying to arrange the killing of an Armada Township woman. “I believe someone else is the mastermind.”

While Freers would not expand on who he thought was the mastermind, he did say that the individual was not in the courtroom Thursday afternoon for the scheduled preliminary examination date set for the five suspects.

He did concede, however, there is “substantial evidence” against his client in the case.

During Thursday’s court date, Wilson-Strat and Christina Sears, 25, of Ray Township, both waived their preliminary exams and were bound over for trial to Macomb County Circuit Court. Their first pretrial conference was set for May 31.

The other three suspects, Bashar Isam Mansour, 22, of Warren, David Aaron Clark, 20, of Detroit and Jorden Powell, 21, of Detroit, all had their preliminary trials adjourned to 1:30 p.m. on June 3 in front of 37th District Court Judge John Chmura. Their attorneys argued that they needed a substantial block of time carved out for the preliminary examination.

All the suspects are charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The alleged plot revolves around Jessica Sears, 31, who is the sister-in-law of Christina Sears. Police say that Wilson-Strat and Christina Sears paid $500 to an undercover detective posing as a hit man to take out Jessica Sears, who was married to Wilson-Strat’s boyfriend. The undercover detective said that he was to receive up to $7,500 after the hit.

Police also say that Clark received $1,100 upfront, with a promise of another $15,000 after he carried out the hit. Clark is accused of breaking into the home of Jessica Sears on March 23 while she slept along with her three children.

Clark didn’t follow through with the hit, but he and Wilson-Strat, who police say drove him to the intended victim’s house, have also been charged with home invasion. Wilson-Strat and Christina Sears are also charged with solicitation of murder.

April Evelyn, 25, of Hazel Park, is currently five months pregnant with Clark’s child. She said, in addition to her relationship with Clark, she has also been a friend with Wilson-Strat and Powell for a number of years.

Evelyn said that when Clark was initially arrested, it was at her home, and that was the first time she heard anything about the plot.

She said she wasn’t suspicious of his involvement before that time. “I’m just glad I wasn’t aware of any of it,” she said.

Evelyn said that she still visits Clark in jail and that he has apologized to her for essentially abandoning her and their unborn child.

“I’m not saying they’re bad people but they have made bad decisions,” she said.
Jessica Sears’ estranged husband, who she is in the process of divorcing, was initially arrested on April 11 in the scheme but he was not charged.

Evelyn said that she was aware of his relationship with Wilson-Strat and believes he might have had a hand in the plot as well.

“He was really manipulative,” she said.

Bond was continued for all five suspects, but none of them have been able to make it and remain housed at the Macomb County Jail.