Killer Ordered by Court to Fund Memorial Bench for Victim
FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP, An appeals court has ordered a convicted killer to pay for his victim’s graveside memorial bench after he challenged a previous ruling that included the cost as part of his restitution, according to court documents.
On Thursday, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled against Kevin Wilson, determining that he is financially responsible for the memorial bench placed by the family of the man he killed.
In April 2024, Wilson, 25, pleaded no contest to the December 2021 murder of 18-year-old Dylan Owens in Fruitport Township. Investigators said Wilson shot Owens, whom he had known since elementary school, multiple times during an argument.
At the time of his death, Owens was expecting a baby girl, according to his family.
Michigan’s constitution grants crime victims, including the families of homicide victims, the right to restitution. During Wilson’s sentencing hearing in June 2024, the Muskegon County prosecutor submitted a restitution request totaling more than $33,000. The amount covered funeral and burial expenses, including a $21,000 engraved granite memorial bench and its installation at Owens’ gravesite, court records show.
Wilson appealed the order, arguing that the memorial bench should not be considered a funeral expense and therefore should not be included in restitution. Prosecutors and Owens’ family disagreed, and the appellate court upheld the original decision, concluding that the bench qualifies as a compensable cost.
Wilson was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years and six months in prison. He will be eligible for parole consideration in 2046.
