KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Willie Warren couldn’t even speak. He stood at the podium, shook his head and took a few deep breaths. Then he looked up at the man who killed his nephew Temetrion Hegler, who was like a dear brother to him.
“He ain’t never did nothing to you Bruce. Never,” said Warren, speaking through tears. “He never disrespected you. He never cursed you. He never did nothing.”
Warren stopped mid-sentence and lunged at Bruce Embry only standing a few feet away. Deputies rushed in and subdued him inches from Embry. Embry was escorted out and Warren was held to the ground, sobbing while saying he "killed my baby brother." His outburst sparked other family members to argue and attempt to fight.
Before the chaos erupted, Judge Pamela Lightvoet asked if anyone wanted to address Embry and the court. Both Warren and Iqullia Hegler, Temetrion’s grandmother, spoke.
“He never caused you any harm. He never was a threat to you. You killed my son” said Hegler sobbing at the podium looking at Embry. “You killed him out of me."
On January 6th police responded to a domestic violence call on the 1400 block of Lane Boulevard and found the Loy Norrix student shot dead in his home. They said he was killed by his step-grandfather Bruce Embry after he told his grandmother that he heard Embry on the phone with another woman.
“I have suffered for seven months,” Hegler continued. “It’s hard for me to stand here. And you shoot my son in the head and he fall dead in front of me. You know how hard that was for me?”
Hegler spoke about the sleepless nights she’s had since he died. The memory of Temetrion getting shot replays in her mind over and over again.
“He missed out on his graduation,” said Hegler about Temetrion who was hoping to attend Michigan State University in the fall. “He missed out on his 18th birthday. You took his dreams away.”
Embry was convictedof his murder in July. Judge Lightvoet said he showed no remorse today in court. Then she sentenced him to life in prison without parole.
“Hopefully everyone can heal,” said Judge Lightvoet. “It’s just such a waste of a life. This should never have happened.”
