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Brother testifies against suspect in 1990 murder of Joel Battaglia

Posted at 10:00 AM, Jan 20, 2015
and last updated 2015-01-20 11:13:05-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Acey Marshall took the stand to testify against his brother, who is charged with a more than 24-year-old Grand Rapids cold case.

Aurelias Marshall is charged open murder charges in the 1990 beating death of Joel Battaglia.  In court Tuesday, his brother testified that he was “tired of living with a lie” for more than two decades, and the birth of his son inspired him to come forward with information about Battaglia’s death.

Battaglia was robbed and beaten to death on Lake Drive SE in Eastown in June 1990.  In December 2014,officials announced that four people, including Aurelias and Acey Marshall, were charged with perjury in connection with the death.