Sturgis man pleads on murder and criminal sexual conduct charges

STURGIS, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A Sturgis man has pleaded no contest to the murder of his girlfriend in 2019.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on Monday, January 30 that 39-year-old Wade Allen submitted his plea of no contest in 45th Circuit Court to charges in connection to the murder and mutilation of his girlfriend, as well as the sexual assault of a fellow inmate once he was in custody.

Allen was arrested on May 22nd, 2019, after Sturgis police officers responded to a tip that he murdered and dismembered his girlfriend. In searching Allen’s apartment, officers located the mutilated remains of Allen’s girlfriend being stored in two coolers.

Officials say while in jail, Allen spoke to his cellmates about having strangled his girlfriend to the point of death. After finding out that the cellmates had passed this information onto the authorities, Allen sexually assaulted one of the inmates when they were re-housed together.

Allen pleaded today to the following charges:

One Count of Second-Degree Homicide, a felony, punishable by up to life;
One Count of Attempted Dismemberment and Mutilation, a felony, punishable by up to 5 years; and,
One Count of Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct Third Degree by Force/Coercion, a felony, punishable by up to 5 years.

“I am grateful to the Sturgis Department of Public Safety, St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office who spent countless hours on this case,” said Nessel. “No sentence will be enough to overcome the grief of the victim’s family, or the anguish suffered by the victims, but hopefully today’s plea will allow the healing process to begin.”

He is scheduled for sentencing on March 3rd.