Former MSU Star Keith Appling Denied Bond on Murder Charge, Will Remain in Jail
June 11, 2021
Former Michigan State basketball player Keith Appling pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge during an arraignment hearing Thursday, but he was ordered to remain in jail.
The Associated Press reported Friday that defense attorney Andrew Abood requested bond for Appling, who's accused of killing Clyde Edmonds during a May 22 dispute in Detroit, but that motion was denied by the magistrate.
Appling, 29, allegedly confronted Edmonds, 66, about a handgun, and Edwards was later found with multiple gunshot wounds on his front lawn May 22. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital, per Oralandar Brand-Williams of the Detroit News.
Police said Edmonds' wife is the first cousin of Appling's mother.
Natalie Brooks Bannister, Appling's girlfriend, allegedly drove the getaway car and later failed to "tell police the truth" about what happened, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. She's been charged with accessory after the fact and lying to a peace officer. She's also pleaded not guilty.
Both Appling and Bannister have been ordered to have no contact with each other.
Appling, who also faces charges of felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of felony firearm, is due back in court June 22 for a probable cause conference and June 29 for preliminary examination, per Brand-Williams.
The Detroit native was a standout guard at Pershing High School in his hometown before becoming a four-year starter at Michigan State. He went undrafted in 2014 but spent time playing professionally in the NBA and the G League along with stops in Mexico, Italy and the Dominican Republic.
Derick Hutchinson of Click On Detroit noted Appling was previously sentenced to one year in jail in 2017 for carrying a concealed weapon and resisting arrest, and he was sentenced to 18 months' probation in 2018 after officers found heroin in his vehicle.
Appling has also been charged with an assault May 2 in Jackson County, Michigan. Further details about that case haven't been publicly released.