UPDATE
Sep 15, 2023 10:30 AM CDT
A jury acquitted three men Friday in the last trial connected to a 2020 plan to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. William Null, twin brother Michael Null, and Eric Molitor were found not guilty of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapon charge, according to the Associated Press. They were the final defendants among 14 men who faced charges in either state or federal court. Nine others have already been convicted. The men were accused of assisting the leaders of the plan by participating in military-style drills and visiting Whitmer’s vacation home in northern Michigan. During their testimony, Molitor, 39, and William Null, 41, admitted attending gun drills and surveying Whitmer’s property but denied any involvement in acquiring explosives.
Dec 7, 2022 6:35 PM CST
Five men were ordered to stand trial on Wednesday on charges related to a foiled plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Michael Null, William Null, Eric Molitor, and Shawn Fix, all from Michigan, were charged with providing material support for terrorist acts and a gun crime. Brian Higgins from Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, was charged with providing material support for terrorist acts. District Judge Michael Stepka determined that the evidence presented in a preliminary hearing warranted a trial in Antrim County, where Whitmer’s vacation home is located and where the planned abduction was to take place. Prosecutors allege that four of the defendants scouted the area around the house and discussed blowing up a bridge to impede police response.
“They knew what they were doing,” Judge Stepka stated while summarizing the testimony and evidence presented in the hearing. “They were all involved in the plot to kidnap the governor.” He later added, “In my opinion, there is clearly a criminal conspiracy at play.” Judge Stepka entered not guilty pleas on behalf of the defendants following his ruling. The trial will proceed in circuit court, with a pretrial conference scheduled for Dec. 19. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel praised the judge’s decision, stating, “It sends a clear message that acts of domestic terrorism will not be tolerated. Those who threaten our law enforcement and public officials endanger our entire state and must be held accountable.”
In October 2020, a total of 14 individuals were arrested and charged for their involvement in the scheme, with six facing federal charges and eight facing state charges. During the hearing in August, FBI agent Hank Impola testified that some of the participants were members of self-styled militia groups advocating for violent rebellion commonly referred to as the “boogaloo.” Ringleaders Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were convicted of conspiracy in federal court on Aug. 23. Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks pleaded guilty earlier, while Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were acquitted at trial in April. In a related state case, Joe Morrison, his father-in-law Pete Musico, and Paul Bellar were found guilty in October of providing material support for a terrorist act as members of a group known as the Wolverine Watchmen. According to evidence presented at the state hearing, the Null brothers, Higgins, and Molitor visited Whitmer’s house from the outside, and Fix assisted them in locating it. All five individuals attended meetings and paramilitary training sessions where the kidnapping plot was discussed, as stated in a court filing by the Michigan attorney general’s office. (Read more Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot stories.)
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