FLINT, Mich. (Court TV) — A Michigan man sobbed as he was sentenced to a minimum of three decades behind bars after he killed his best friend on his wedding night.
James Shirah appears in court for his sentencing on May 11, 2026. (Court TV)
James Shirah, 24, previously pleaded no contest to second-degree homicide, operating a vehicle without a valid license and leaving the scene of a crash in the death of Terry Lewis Taylor Jr., 29.
Aug. 30, 2024, had been Shirah’s wedding day, and Taylor had been his best man. At some point during a party following the nuptials, the two began fighting. Shirah drove away, but returned one minute later and hit his friend with the vehicle. After hitting Taylor, Shirah fled from the scene and did not speak to the police until the next day.
Shirah’s attorney, Harrell Milhouse, asked the judge for a downward departure at sentencing, arguing that the incident was an accident. “There was a fight, an argument, with alcohol involved,” he told the court. “This is a situation where you have friends — lifelong friends, best friends — and things get out of control.”
While Milhouse repeatedly said, “What happened was clearly an accident,” Judge Khary Hanible disagreed. “There was nothing accidental about what took place,” Hanible said as he declined the defense’s motion.
Hanible referenced surveillance video, which captured the incident. He described seeing the defendant and victim in an alley, where they appeared to be arguing. The video shows the defendant leave, and then one minute later, he returns behind the wheel of an SUV. Hanible said the video clearly shows the vehicle, angled toward the victim, accelerate in speed and then strike Taylor.
“When I got to him, all I could see was blood,” Taylor’s cousin, Eren Taylor, said in a victim impact statement. “His chest was cut open where mine and my two sons’ names were.”
James Shirah began to sob as he was sentenced. (Court TV)
Shirah spoke at the hearing, offering an apology to the family. “The only thing I can do for the rest of my life is express my apologies and remorse to the family of Mr. Terry Taylor. I will forever be sorry. It was not intentional,” he said. “It can look like anything it wants to but I know what truly happened that night was not intentional. That was my best friend.”
Addressing the defendant, Hanible said, “I believe, Mr. Shirah, that you are not a criminal. You are, however, a killer.” That prompted a response from Shirah, who said, “I’m not a killer, your honor. The charges…do not define me as a man.” “The fact that there is a person who is no longer here means you are a killer,” the judge corrected. “You killed someone.”
Shirah began to sob when Hanible sentenced him first to 30 years to life before modifying the sentence to be 30 to 45 years for homicide. 10-year to 15-year sentences for the other two counts will run concurrently to the sentence for homicide.
Shirah’s bride, Savanah Collier, pleaded guilty to a single charge of accessory after the fact. She is scheduled to be in court on May 26 for sentencing.
