Bay City, MI: Jeff Julian, suspect in girlfriend's death, arraigned on open charge of murder

Published: Monday, November 15, 2010, 2:21 PM Updated: Monday, November 15, 2010, 5:34 PM
LaNia Coleman | The Bay City Times

BAY CITY — Assistant Bay County Prosecutor J. Dee Brooks alleges Jeffrey A. Julian II told people how he was involved in the killing of his girlfriend, Lynn M. Spicer, and how he planned to do it and dispose of her remains.
Bay County District Judge Dawn A. Klida denied bond for the 22-year-old Bay City man whom she arraigned today on an open charge of murder, a life felony, and one count of removing or carrying away remains, a 10-year felony.
Onlookers, some teary-eyed, packed the courtroom to hear the charges against the man accused of killing the 33-year-old mother who disappeared in August.
Remains believed to be Spicer were exhumed Friday from a vacant lot owned by Julian’s family on the city’s West Side.
Julian had reported Spicer missing Aug. 27 although he said he had not seen her since the couple argued Aug. 21.
Julian’s 19-year-old brother, Craig Julian, remains jailed in Troy, Ohio, where he is awaiting extradition to Bay County to face charges in connection with Spicer’s death.
Bay City attorney Edward M. Czuprynski, who is representing Jeffrey Julian, asked Klida to release his client on bond.
“He was a U.S. Marine who served in Iraq,” Czuprynski said. “He has a clean record up to this point. He lives with his grandmother and is a life-long resident of Bay County. I don’t believe he is a flight risk.”
Brooks disagreed.
“I believe he has a drug offense from earlier this year for which he was on probation at the time of (the alleged killing),” said Brooks. “There is also a great presumption that he is guilty.”
Brooks said an autopsy performed Sunday by Dr. Kanu Virani, a forensic pathologist, confirmed that Spicer was slain. Bay City Police Lt. Joseph Lanava said the manner of Spicer's death has yet to be determined pending the autopsy's results.
“He is a great risk to the community in terms of both safety and flight,” said Brooks.
Lanava could not comment on what led investigators to serving the search warrant on the lot at 108 Curtis St.
He added the Julian brothers are the only suspects in the case.
“We don’t believe there were any more involved based on the information we have now,” he said.