Three minors now face felony charges for the alleged robbery and murder of MSU student Dustyn Frolka.
Samantha Grigg, 17, Brendan Heim, 16, and Tyrel Bredernitz, 17, were arraigned in 65th District Court in St. Johns, Mich., Monday.
Three suspects in Dustyn Frolka's death arraigned
Saline, Mich., resident Samantha Grigg responds to the judge as she is read her charges Feb. 24, 2014 during her and two other suspects’ arraignments at 65th District Court in St. Johns, Mich. Grigg faced three charges of felony murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. All are punishable with a life sentence in prison. Erin Hampton/The State News
They were each charged as adults with felony murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
According to court testimony, the suspects allegedly used brass knuckles while attempting to rob Frolka, a marketing sophomore and aspiring musician at the time of his death.
Frolka was found partially clothed and in respiratory distress at about 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 15 near the East Lansing ramp of I-69 in Bath Township.
He was taken to Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after.
Heim and Grigg both attend Saline High School and are in their junior and senior years, respectively.
Bredernitz is a recent graduate of Saline High.
The first charge, felony murder, is punishable for up to life in prison without parole. Armed robbery carries life for any term of years.
The final charge, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, also carries life for any term of years as well as a fine of up to $10,000.
All suspects were denied bond and are being held in Clinton County Jail.
Their preliminary examinations are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on March 6.
The prosecutor is required to show sufficient evidence and probable cause that the defendants committed the crimes for the case to be sent to circuit court for a trial.
According to 54-B District Court documents, Frolka was arraigned on Feb. 1 for charges regarding cocaine possession.
READ MORE
On the night of Frolka’s death, he hinted at plans to use DMT, an intense hallucinogen.
“I’ve never done DMT and tonight is about to change s***,” a Tweet from his personal Twitter account read.
Autopsy and toxicology reports that would confirm whether or not the drug was in Frolka’s system at the time of his death have not yet been completed.
Before his death, Frolka was an aspiring rapper who had performed across Michigan under the name “D-Fro.”
He was featured in a March 2013 State News article about local hip-hop artists.
“I just grew up listening to the radio as a kid,” Frolka said in an interview featured in the article. “So it just grew from there. I started making my own little tracks when I was 13, 14 years old off a little Wal-Mart mic. And it just went from there, building, progressing, getting more equipment, finding more things out.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Frolka is survived by his daughter Melody Lou, who was born in April 2013.
