LANSING, Mich. — Zachary Diederichs, who is charged with fatally shooting two brothers, may get a plea deal that would prevent him from spending life in jail.
Family members of the two victims, Marcus Jackson-Burton and Steven Jackson, don't like it.
“He deserves life in prison, without parole,” said Marcus’ mom, Miranda Burton-Hinton.
Diederichs, 31, was charged with fatally shooting Jackson-Burton and Jackson on Aug. 3. at a restaurant on Lansing’s south side.
Diederichs has a criminal history that dates back to 2013, and it includes domestic violence, assault, fleeing from police and more.
“Clearly, there’s a track of violence throughout his whole history,” said Marcus’s and Steven’s brother, Dequan Townsend.
Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon proposed the plea deal. If granted, Diederichs would admit to second degree murder and receive a 30-to-50-year sentence.
“To hold this person accountable and still offer a chance for rehabilitation,” Siemon said. “We don’t know if he could ever be rehabilitated, that’s not my question today because I don’t know who he might be 40, 45 or 50 years from now.”
Siemon said she has sympathy for the family, but believes everyone deserves a second chance. The family said they will fight the plea deal and think Siemon should be out of office for proposing it.
“I need everyone to get out to the polls and vote,” Burton-Hinton said. “That’s the only way we could make a difference in the community is to get rid of people like her.”
Townsend said he also believes in second chances "but when someone has a violent past that he has and just getting out of prison, there is no second chance for that."
Diederichs’ pretrial hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5.
Stay with FOX 47 for updates.
