KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Pearson family continues to mourn the loss of their loved ones Maurice Pearson and his son Xavier. Both father and son were fatally stabbed in January 2022. Trial begins next week at the Kalamazoo County Courthouse on Michigan Avenue. However, on Friday May 5, the family gathered in front of the courthouse to set the record straight, they said, regarding a few details in the case.
“We believe Tam-Mauri Pearson, my niece, my brother daughter, is afraid,” Sheran said while standing next to the family’s attorney Tyrone Bynum. “And, she has great reasons to be.”
Sheran Pearson is the sister to Maurice and aunt to Xavier. As soon as she arrived to the 4 p.m. press conference in front of the courthouse, she gave media members folders filled with police and investigative reports that she obtained through the Freedom Of Information Act.
She and Bynum said the documents reveal the character of the suspect.
“This is no angel. Matter of fact, I say to anyone that’s dealing with this case it has been a hardship on our family that Kalamazoo, the city, the county, the state of Michigan, if you haven’t been through it yourself, and thank God you haven’t, you’re not going to understand what its like for us to go through,” Sheran said. “You’re not going to understand what a grandmother feels, what a mother feels, what a brother feels. We have been through literally hell.”
In January 2022, according to Portage police, Maurice Pearson and Xavier were fatally stabbed at Davis Creek Apartments in Portage during an altercation.
Since then Nathaniel Doyle was arrested and then released in the case. Immediately following the incident, FOX 17 went to the apartment complex, knocking on doors in search of Doyle to get his perspective but were unsuccessful. Doyle was later charged. His trial begins next week.
Sheran said the family believes that Maurice’s daughter and Xavier sister, Tam-Mauri, was involved in a hostile and violent relationship with Doyle.
“It shows here that Tam-Mauri has indicated in police reports that she was fearful of her life,” Bynum said while holding up the documents. “Fearful of her life.”
Fox 17 read through the reports and it stated that there were assault and battery charges in 2017, 2021, and 2022, an assault with intent to do great bodily harm in 2019, and a domestic dispute reported in 2020.
“I’m going to read this for you all right now, ok,” Sheran said while looking at the domestic assault charge in February 2021. “We have it right here ‘Pearson states that Doyle has a large sword and knives that he could have chopped her into pieces,’ [that’s] what Pearson said. Doyle’s violence has increased with each incident.”
The family also wanted to clear up what happened in the moments before the fatal stabbing occurred.
“Tam-Mauri denies ever saying what the police report says with regard to having the father and the son break-in to the house,” said Bynum, the family’s attorney. “I have the audio tape where Tam-Mauri is talking to her aunt and she says ‘I never said that.’ So, that is the concern with the family is Tam-Mauri is currently denying that two men broke into the house. That’s the part that hurts the family the most is indicating or saying that the family broke into their own daughter and sister’s home when the father went to the door by himself.”
Fox 17 reached out to Portage police for an update in the case and they stated that trial begins next Tuesday May 9 at 10 a.m.
The family hopes that Maurice and Xavier will receive justice and that Doyle is found guilty and sentenced to prison.
“This man allegedly has single-handedly brung down a family almost,” Sheran said. “And I say almost because we’re not going to stop being family.”
***UPDATE: Doyle was found not guilty on Friday, September 15 by a jury at the Kalamazoo County Courthouse.
His attorney Kiana Garrity provided the following statement to FOX 17, which reads in part:
"This result should be understood in light of the fact that a simple review of the Portage Police Department’s extensive and thorough investigation would lead any reasonable person to conclude that Mr. Doyle had acted in justifiable self-defense. The Prosecuting Attorney’s criminal allegations to the contrary were soundly rejected by the jury and represent yet another example of why our jury system is of such fundamental importance to ensuring just results in the criminal justice system."
For the full statement, click here.
The Doyle family said in a statement that since the incident happened Nathaniel's name and their name has been "dragged through the mud."
The statement said:
"The Doyle Family stand strongly behind Mr. Doyle. He he had every right to protect himself. To be clear and state that Mr. Doyle did not run or flee the state after the incident. Mr. Doyle moved from the state under suggestion from the Portage Police Department for his safety. (this was due to all the [malicious] stuff that was being posted on facebook, instagram and Poster signs being placed around the community all by the Sykes family.) Mr. Doyle feared for his life and safety."
"Mr. Doyle did NOT domestically abuse Ms. Chardae Pearson. Ms. Pearson stated and testified in court that he assaulted her. (This Perjury) The truth of the matter Ms.Pearson assaulted Mr. Doyle and Portage Police Department offered him the opportunity to press charges. Testimony given by one of the officers."
"This was a tragedy for both families. A tragedy that didn’t even have to happen and sadly neither families will ever forget."
