Swan Boat Club crash: Marshella Chidester hires new attorney ahead of sentencing

MONROE COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - The next time Marshella Chidester appears in court, she will have a new attorney standing next to her.

Chidester, who was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death, and five counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury for the fatal Swan Boat Club crash, will no longer be represented by Bill Colovos.

The backstory:

According to court records, Chidester has retained Amberg & Amberg.

Colovos, who handled the case from the beginning, said he learned that he was being replaced when he went to the Monroe County Jail for a pre-sentencing investigation (PSI). During that PSI, sentencing guidelines and case background were to be discussed before Chidester is sentenced next month. However, Colovos said that when he arrived, the person from the parole office that he was supposed to meet with was not there.

Marshella Chidester in court on March 6, 2025

He said he learned from a jail employee that Chidester's husband had given instruction to no longer speak to Colovos because a new attorney was being put on the case. Later that day, Colvovos said he received an attorney's substitution form from the new law firm and signed it.

That form needed to be signed by the judge, but wasn't immediately signed, Colovos said, so he eventually filed a motion to have himself removed from the case due to breakdown in communication with his client. A motion hearing was scheduled to address this request, but was later canceled after Judge Daniel White signed off on the attorney substitution earlier this week.

What they're saying:

Chidester's former attorney said that it is unusual that a new attorney will be taking over the case before sentencing. According to Colovos, the lawyer who tried the case will usually remain on the case until after sentencing. Then, the new attorney will handle an appeal.

Colovos planned to appeal the conviction, and said he believes the new attorney will also do so. According to Colovos, he believes there is a strong chance the conviction will be overturned, which would lead to a new trial for Chidester.

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Swan Boat Club crash trial verdict: Marshella Chidester found guilty of all charges

After about two hours of deliberations, jurors found Marshella Chidester of all charges stemming from the Swan Boat Club crash, including two counts of murder.

Dig deeper:

Chidester, 67, was found guilty after slamming her vehicle into the Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township on April 20, 2024. The crash killed  8-year-old Alanah Phillips and 4-year-old Zayn Phillips and injured more than a dozen other people who were attending a child's birthday party at the club.

According to evidence presented in court, Chidester had a BAC of .18 - more than double the legal limit in Michigan - when the crash happened. 

After the crash, Chidester told deputies that she didn't remember it happening. When asked how she was feeling on a scale of 0-10, with zero being sober and 10 being passed out drunk, Chidester responded that she was at seven. She was also heard telling the deputy that she "wouldn't want to drive," when asked if she felt she was OK to drive.

Her trial included a slew of witnesses, including toxicology experts, the mother of the children killed, and surviving victims.

The defense alleged that her blood sample was tainted, leading to the prosecution showing video of Chidester walking around her home with what appeared to be wine multiple times before the deadly crash. 

A jury found Chidester guilty after deliberating for less than two hours. 

What's next:

Chidester is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15.

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