Overview

• Marshella Chidester was sentenced to 25–50 years in prison for second-degree murder, with concurrent sentences for intoxicated driving charges.
• The 2024 crash at the Swan Boat Club killed 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and 4-year-old Zayn Phillips, leaving their family devastated.
• Chidester’s blood-alcohol level was 0.18, more than twice Michigan’s legal limit of 0.08, at the time of the crash.
• Victim impact statements from the Phillips family detailed the ongoing emotional and physical toll of the tragedy, including survivor’s guilt and lasting injuries to their eldest son.
• The defense’s claim that a leg problem caused Chidester to accelerate was rejected by the jury, which found the evidence of her guilt overwhelming.