In a tragic series of events that unfolded in Dorr Township, Michigan, 10-year-old Corey LaValley Jr. was found deceased on March 10, 2015. The young boy, along with his 33-year-old mother, Debra Sheppard, and his 12-year-old sister, Emma McComber, were discovered in their mobile home after a fire was reported. Autopsies later revealed that all three victims had died from gunshot wounds to the head and had been placed in their beds before the fire was intentionally set.
The investigation quickly centered on the boy's father, Corey LaValley, who was 32 at the time. Authorities alleged that LaValley had a volatile relationship with Sheppard, which had reportedly worsened after she told him he was not the biological father of Corey Jr. It is believed the shootings occurred on the evening of March 9, and LaValley returned to the home the following day to set it on fire in an attempt to conceal the crime. He was apprehended 65 miles away in Eaton County.
During the legal proceedings, it was revealed that LaValley had confessed the crimes to his brother and father, who then contacted the police. After being found competent to stand trial, LaValley was charged with three counts of open murder, second-degree arson, and felony firearm possession. In January 2016, he accepted a plea deal and pleaded no contest to three counts of second-degree murder. This plea, while not an admission of guilt, is treated as such for sentencing purposes. LaValley claimed to have no memory of the killings.
In February 2016, Corey LaValley was sentenced in Allegan County Circuit Court for the murders of his son, his son's mother, and his son's sister. He received a minimum sentence of 55 years and a maximum of 82 years in prison for his role in the deaths.
