TUSCOLA CO. -- TUSCOLA CO. -- Update March 22st:
The young man accused of killing 16-year-old Zachary Harp is now out on bond.
Kalis posted the $75,000 bond Monday night.
TUSCOLA CO. -- March 21st
Owendale-Gagetown High School is in shock, and a family is in mourning after an argument turned deadly early Sunday morning. The Tuscola County Sheriff says a 17-year-old from Unionville ran over a 16-year-old from Caro on purpose.
"I was in law enforcement, and I've never seen anything like this," said John Rands as he talked about the murder of his own grandson. “There’s just so much rage.”
Sixteen year old Zachary Harp died Sunday afternoon from injuries he suffered around four Sunday morning. Witnesses tell his grandparents he tried to break up a fight between two other teens. They were at a party at a home located at 6525 Elizabeth St in Gagetown. One of the teens involved in the fight then turned on him.
“I think he sensed something was about to happen that wasn’t right, and he tried to stop it,” says Rands of his grandson.
“He was doing the right thing, and when you do the right thing, sometimes things go wrong,” said Harp’s grandmother, Janice Rands.
The principal at Owendale-Gagetown High School, where Zach was a freshman, said Zach had a reputation for standing up for his classmates.
“The mood in the school has been somber. Zach was a popular student,” said Principal Terri Falkenberg.
Counselors, clergy, and social workers are at the school to help grieving students.
Late Monday afternoon, the Tuscola County Prosecutor charged Cody Christopher Kalis with open murder, manslaughter with a motor vehicle, and operating while intoxicated causing death. His bond is set at $75,000.
“Witnesses say he intentionally ran over Harp with his car and dragged his body almost a block,” said Tuscola County Sheriff Lee Teschendorf. “We don’t often have crimes like this in our community.”
The sheriff says many witnesses took off from the scene when Michigan State Police and Sheriff’s deputies arrived. He is hoping they will come forward to help his investigators piece together what lead to this tragedy.
The sheriff says teens were drinking at this party.
Zach’s grandparents hope young people learn from this.
“Don't drink when you’re underage,” said Zach’s grandmother with tears in her eyes. “And this bullying has to stop."
She says she wishes she could tell Zach she loves him, one more time.
“I wish I could have seen him race his truck,” said Zach’s grandfather. Zach’s father recently bought him a truck to race. “I never did get to see him race. He was proud of it.”
Both say they are proud of their grandson for trying to stop a fight, but they wish this had never happened at all.
"I'm just extremely proud of him,” said John Rands. “I just hope those that witnessed it come forward and talk to the sheriff and give Zach some justice. For Zach, for his mother, for us."
