Murder charges in 11-year-old cold case

VAN BUREN COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Monday saw the announcement of a major break in a Van Buren County cold case.

After spending more than eleven years searching for answers, police have arrested four people in the attack on Deborah Boothby.

Boothby died in April of 1998. Investigators believe her attackers tried to make her death look like a hit and run accident.

37-year-old Adrienne Burnette was arrested and pleaded guilty last week to second degree murder for Boothby's death. Her sentence was suspended pending testimony against the four others being charged in Boothby's death.

32-year-old Shevolier Gill, 40-year-old Edward Foster, 33-year-old Scotty Shaver and 47-year-old Ivory Shaver have all been charged with first degree murder and felony murder for the killing of then 34-year-old Debra Boothby. The arrests could mark the end of eleven years of frustration.

For Boothby's mother, Marie Atwood, the arrest of Ivory Shaver is particularly significant.

“I know Ivory Shaver,” said Atwood, “I've known him since he was a little boy, he went to school with my daughter.”

Atwood says her daughter and Ivory had a relationship once, and that she has suspected that he was involved in her daughter's murder.

“From the beginning when I told the police that and they didn't want to go with it, they said it was a hit and run,” said Atwood.

Investigators say Ivory and Gill were involved in a relationship. They were together at a bar in Covert Township in April of 1998 when Boothby showed up and a fight ensued.

“My daughter's supposed friends said they beat the hell out of her for four hours out there,” said Atwood.

Detectives say possibly dozens of people crowded around Boothby outside the bar, beating her.

“You'd think in one of them something would snap and say, 'Hey, you know,' but do do that, they're animals, animals to do that,” said Atwood.

Police say Boothby was put in a car and driven to another locations where the beating continued before she was dumped on Blue Star Highway in Covert. There, detectives say she was run over by two cars to make it look like a hit and run. Boothby died shortly after.

Atwood says the recent arrests make the last eleven years hurt a little less, but she's not ready to rest yet.

“Finally, yes, it's let me breathe a little easier,” said Atwood. “When it's over, when they finally get put where they're supposed to be, and I hope it's long enough to where they can't get out.”

All four suspects face life in prison if convicted, and Atwood says she will be at all of their trials to make sure her daughter receives justice after eleven years.