First week of Boxley murder trial wraps up
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MARQUETTE -- Friday marked the end of the first week of the State of Michigan v Julie Boxley, in the 25th Circuit Court in Marquette, Judge Andrew Griffin is presiding.
Boxley is charged with felony murder and 1st degree arson and is accused of intentionally setting fire to the Ishpeming home of Glenn Andrews on March 5, 2023. Andrews died on March 19 at the University of Michigan Health’s Trauma Burn Center.
On Friday, prosecution continued to call witnesses, including Det. Jim Wachnicki with the Michigan State Police Negaunee post. Wachnicki is the lead detective as well as the case officer on this case.
Prosecuting Attorney Jenna Nelson played in full the interview between Wachnicki and Boxley at the MSP Negaunee post on March 14, 2023.
In that interview, which was voluntary, Boxley can be heard telling Wachnicki that she had gone to the bar after leaving dinner with Andrews, Andrews' son, Andrews' daughter-in-law and Boxley's friend the night before the fire. Boxley can be heard saying that she believed she had about 7 drinks over the course of that evening.
She gave Wachnicki an account of the fire, including the details that she estimated it took about 6 seconds between her hearing the back door close and her witnessing Andrews lying on the back deck out of the bedroom window and that she jumped from the window onto the cellar roof and onto the back deck.
Boxley can also be heard saying in the taped interview that she saw Andrews was badly injured, so she threw back the gate on the back deck and ran down the driveway to get help.
Wainicki can be heard saying that the fire at 175 Silver St., where Andrews and Boxley lived, was the third fire in the area that year, and that therefore arson was suspected. When Andrews asked Boxley what she believed caused the fire, she can be heard saying,
"I have no idea, I'm hoping it was not arson."
Wachnicki also could be heard telling Boxley that he had listened to the taped interview between her and Jack Hooker, the fire investigator, from March 8, and that the story she told Hooker was different than the story she had told Wachnicki.
Wachnicki could also be heard telling Boxley that he had reviewed a video of the back of the house taken by the backyard neighbor while the house was on fire, and that the snow on the cellar roof appeared undisturbed, despite Boxley saying she had jumped onto it, and that Andrews had said on the scene of the fire that he had jumped over the gate which Boxley told Wachnicki she had thrown back.
"You wait ’till Glenn (Andrews) wakes up," Boxley could be heard saying. "Glenn knows."
Wachnicki continued to press Boxley in the interview, telling her "we know it's arson" and "you lit that fire."
"You think I tried to kill Glenn (Andrews)?" said Boxley in the clip.
"I don't think that was your intention," said Wachnicki, who then presented a theory that perhaps Boxley hadn't been in her right mind due to being on medications, including heart medication, thyroid medication, diabetes medication and anti-depressant medication.
Boxley eventually stopped answering questions and elected to leave the interview.
Nelson also played an audio clip of a recorded phone call Boxley made while in jail to a woman named Tammy. In that recorded call, Boxley said that it was possible Andrews had gone downstairs to use the bathroom, or to give the dogs a treat before exiting the house on March 5.
Wachnicki testified that he had found this phone call "concerning" because it was not the same story Boxley had told him or the fire investigator.
Defense Attorney Jonathan Ballew began cross examination before the court recessed for lunch, questioning Wachnicki on why Boxley had been the only identified suspect and how Wachnicki had come to that determination.
The trial is expected to last multiple weeks.
Annie Lippert can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is alippert@miningjournal.net.