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Michael Crane — who’s facing first-degree murder charges for the deaths of Paradise Valley couple Glenna and Lawrence Shapiro, as well as Phoenix man Bruce Gaudet — made it to his arraignment today without causing a scene.
Crane was scheduled to be in court on Tuesday his arraignment, but court officials said he “refused” to be transported from the jailhouse to the courthouse.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jeff Sprong tells New Times Crane was transported today without any problems.
Click here for details on the case.
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Crane pleaded not guilty to his charges — three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of kidnapping, six counts related to arson, two counts of burglary, one count of armed robbery, and one count of theft of a means of transportation — but a judge ordered Crane to undergo “Rule 11” mental competency evaluation.
Details were light on Crane’s episode last week in which he “refused” to go to his arraignment, but Commissioner Brian Rees ordered Crane to be transported to today’s date “by any reasonable means necessary,” according to Superior Court spokesman Vincent Funari.
The hearing for Crane’s Rule 11 evaluation is scheduled about 60 days from now.
Crane’s facing the most charges of the seven suspects believed to have been involved at both the Shapiro and Gaudet crime scenes, and several of his co-defendants have already entered not-guilty pleas at their arraignments.
One other person is facing a first-degree murder charge in the case, but his or her name
has not yet been released “pending service of charges,” and the
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office won’t confirm her identity until those
charges are served.
