ROSEVILLE (WWJ) -- A young man now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if he's convicted on new charges filed against him in a Macomb County murder case.
During Stephen Freeman's preliminary exam, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office added first-degree premeditated murder (a life felony), first-degree home invasion (a 20-year felony), and second degree criminal sexual conduct (a two-year felony) in connection with the death of 62 year-old Gabriele Seitz just over a year ago.
Freeman, 19, was previously arraigned on charges of felony murder, concealing the death of an individual, and receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle.
According to prosecutors, Freeman climbed through a window into Seitz's Roseville home on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, while the victim wasn't home.
He stayed in the house until Seitz returned, and "an altercation ensued," prospectors said, during which Freeman allegedly killed Seitz.
Authorities have not said exactly how Seitz died.
Later that same day, prosecutors said Freeman was driving Seitz's pickup truck near Hayes and Common Rd. in Roseville when he hit a semi-truck and fled the scene on foot.
Roseville police officers searched the truck and discovered Seitz's body.
Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido told WWJ Newsradio 950 that the victim's body was wrapped in sheets with a shoelace around her throat.
Freeman was later found sleeping in the backseat of a car that didn't belong to him, according to Lucido, and was arrested.
"My office has augmented the charges against Stephen Freeman to reflect the gravity of his alleged actions. We stand resolute in our commitment to seeking truth and accountability," Lucido said, in a Friday news release. "Thank you to the Roseville Police Department and the Michigan State Police for their extensive investigation."
Following his court appearance, Freeman was remanded into custody in the Macomb County Jail, where he remains held without bond.
