In the winter of 2018, a tragedy unfolded in Charter Township of Clinton, Michigan, forever altering the lives of a local family and their community. Thomas Badke, a 61-year-old man, was fatally shot on January 9th at his own business, Reliable Fence. The incident stemmed from a workplace dispute that escalated to a horrific act of violence. An employee, Jerry Motley Jr., had been involved in an altercation with a coworker, Angelo Micale.
In a sudden turn of events, Motley produced a firearm and began shooting.
Thomas Badke, in a heroic attempt to de-escalate the situation and protect his employees, intervened. Tragically, in his effort to disarm Motley, Badke was shot in the head and died from his injuries. The other employee, Micale, was also shot but survived. The senseless act of violence sent shockwaves through the community, leaving friends and family to mourn the loss of a beloved business owner.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Jerry Motley Jr. was apprehended by law enforcement. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder for the death of Thomas Badke, as well as assault with intent to murder for the shooting of Angelo Micale, and several other felony firearm charges. The legal proceedings that followed were complex and drawn out. Motley was initially found guilty on all counts in 2019 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
However, in a significant legal development, Motley's conviction was later overturned. A judge ruled that his defense counsel had been ineffective, necessitating a new trial. In June of 2025, a jury once again found Jerry Motley guilty of first-degree premeditated murder. The jury rejected the defense's claim that Motley was legally insane at the time of the shooting. On August 7, 2025, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing a final, albeit painful, chapter to a close for the family of Thomas Badke.
