Woman shot 15 times in front of her kids, Michigan cops say. Ex-boyfriend convicted

A man has been found guilty of killing his ex-girlfriend in her Michigan home, authorities say.

After a four-day trial, a jury took an hour of deliberation before convicting James Rockett III, 43, on all charges, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office. He had been charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following the March 10, 2022, shooting.

The prosecutor’s office said Rockett went to his ex-girlfriend’s home “and shot her 15 times in front of her children.”

“While we cannot erase the pain inflicted, we stand together in the pursuit of justice, honoring the memory of the life taken and striving to prevent such tragedies from ever occurring again,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a statement.

The woman was identified by the Macomb Daily as Michelle Siegel. Her children, ages 8 and 10 at the time of the incident, went into the custody of her siblings, the news outlet reported.

An obituary states the 37-year-old woman “loved working on cars and was a mechanic at heart.”

“Michelle was the puzzle piece that kept our family together over the years,” loved ones said in a GoFundMe. “As siblings moved away, Michelle always kept us aware of what was going on in each other lives. She worked incredibly hard for her children and would sacrifice anything for them, family, or her friends.”

Rockett, who will be sentenced in June, faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said.

Macomb County is about a 40-mile drive northeast of Detroit.

This story was originally published April 30, 2024 at 11:47 AM with the headline "Woman shot 15 times in front of her kids, Michigan cops say. Ex-boyfriend convicted."