Romulus murder case dismissed after judge found killing was self-defense

Christopher Peterson, 24, was charged July 3 in Romulus with the first-degree murder of Dante Carey, 49. Carey was the ex-boyfriend of Peterson's mother, said his attorney, Robert Burton-Harris.

Judge Brian Oakley of the 34th District Court in Romulus dismissed the murder charge as well as the charge of use of a firearm in the commission of a serious crime on Sept. 4 after hearing some evidence in the case during the preliminary investigation and determining that Peterson shot Carey in self-defense, Burton-Harris and Assistant District Attorney Maria Miller said.

Burton-Harris said Michigan has one of the stricter self-defense laws in the country, and if a lawyer admits evidence of self-defense, prosecutors must present evidence to refute that claim.