Newlyweds from Michigan charged in death of best man and referred for competency evaluation

FLINT, MI – The 22-year-old Flint man accused of killing one of his groomsmen just hours after attending his wedding has been referred for a competency evaluation, according to court records.

James D. Shirah is charged with open homicide, operating a vehicle without a license resulting in death and failure to stop during an accident resulting in death.

Shirah, who is being held without bail, was originally charged with second-degree murder. His bride, Savanah Collier, 21, is charged with accessory after the fact.

Flint police responded to a report of a pedestrian injured in a crash in the 1400 block of East Hamilton Avenue near Lewis Street on August 30 around 8 p.m.

Related: The bride and groom are charged with the death of their best man after the wedding

The best man, Terry Lewis Taylor Jr., 29, was struck and taken to Hurley Medical Center, where he died.

An initial police investigation revealed that the groom and best man got into an argument after the wedding.

The argument resulted in the victim “being intentionally struck by a large SUV traveling at a high rate of speed driven by the groom,” Flint police said in a statement.

A defendant is incompetent to stand trial only if he is unable to understand the nature and subject matter of the proceedings or if his mental condition makes him incapable of providing reasonable assistance to the defense.

Lack of jurisdiction may be invoked at any time during the legal proceedings by the court or by an application made by one of the parties. If there are indications of lack of jurisdiction, the judge must stop the proceedings and refer the defendant to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry.

At the Center for Forensic Psychiatry, doctors question defendants and then prepare a report on whether they are mentally competent and can be held criminally responsible.

Judges typically rely on these reports to make competency decisions at a competency hearing, which must occur no later than five days after the center's report is submitted.

Shirah is scheduled for a motion hearing on Thursday, Oct. 10, in Genesee County Circuit Court Judge David Guinn's courtroom.

Want more news from the Flint area? Bookmark local Flint news site or register for free”3@3 Flint” daily newsletter.