Westland Man Charged in Grandmother's Death

Premeditated murder and second-degree arson are the counts the prosecutor filed. Stanton is dead. Saturday's arraignment did not try the case.

Wayne County prosecutors say Donavan Shane Laverty fired a handgun more than once on Wednesday morning and shot his grandmother, Sandra Stanton, in the head. They say he then poured an accelerant on boxes inside the house and lit a fire. The shooting was reported shortly after 10 a.m. on Nov. 11 at the home they shared, in the 33800 block of Calumet Court in Westland.

Firefighters put the fire out. Stanton, 79, was taken to a hospital, where she died. Police arrested Laverty at the house.

He is charged with premeditated first-degree murder, second-degree arson, discharge of a firearm in a building, and two counts of felony firearm. He was arraigned Saturday in 36th District Court and ordered held in jail. A probable-cause conference is set for Nov. 25, and a preliminary examination for Dec. 3.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.