FLINT, Mich. – A newlywed Michigan man broke down sobbing in court after a judge sentenced him to at least 30 years in prison for intentionally running over and killing his best friend and groomsman just hours after exchanging vows.
James Shirah, 24, of Flint, was sentenced Monday in May 2026 to 30 to 45 years for second-degree murder in the August 30, 2024, death of 29-year-old Terry Lewis Taylor Jr. Shirah also received concurrent terms for operating a vehicle with a suspended license causing death and fleeing the scene of a fatal accident.
Court video captured Shirah, dressed in an orange jail uniform and handcuffed, visibly crumbling as the reality of his sentence sank in. He lowered his head, wiped his eyes, and appeared overcome with emotion while speaking with his attorney.
Prosecutors said the tragedy unfolded hours after Shirah married Savanah Collier at a local pizzeria. The celebration moved to a private residence on East Hamilton Street. Both men had been drinking throughout the day when an argument erupted. Witnesses testified that Taylor pushed Shirah’s new bride and another person during the dispute.
Shirah got into an SUV, drove away, then returned at full speed and struck Taylor, who was standing in the street. The impact sent the victim flying through the air. Shirah did not stop and fled the scene. Taylor, a father of three whose fiancée was pregnant at the time, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Security camera footage from the property captured the deadly collision and was played in court. Shirah later pleaded no contest to the charges, citing a lack of memory of the events.
Taylor’s cousin told Shirah in court before sentencing, “I hope that they throw the book at you.”Collier, Shirah’s wife, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact. She was sentenced under Michigan’s youthful trainee program to two years of probation. If she successfully completes it, the conviction can be erased from her record.
Shirah will not be eligible for parole until at least 2054. The case drew widespread attention for the shocking circumstances, a wedding day that ended with one man dead and the groom facing decades in prison for taking the life of his own best friend.
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