For Steve Fitzhugh, justice didn’t just fail his father — it erased him.
William Fitzhugh was killed. Two family members entrusted to care for him instead abused him, and left him in squalor.
Both Cory Nethery and Christopher Fitzhugh were charged in William’s death. Justice however, like many cases in Allegan County, was denied.
Nethery is spending 60-100 years in prison for the abuse resulting in Fitzhugh’s death.
Christopher Fitzhugh, however, has been released from jail, and is reportedly back in the town of Pullman, where he’s from.
And then, behind closed doors, Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker decided he wouldn’t stand trial. No jury. No hearing. No notice to the family.
Just silence — followed by freedom.
“Judge Bakker let my father’s murderer walk free,” Steve wrote to Clutch Justice. “Put him on medication to fail the mental test. Held a private court hearing and dropped charges behind our backs.”
If that sounds like a miscarriage of justice, that’s because it is.
The Competency Loophole, Weaponized
According to FOX 17 Investigates, the man charged in William Fitzhugh’s death was deemed incompetent to stand trial. Instead of a public trial, Judge Bakker quietly handed the man over to guardianship and outpatient supervision, all without ever informing the Fitzhugh family.
The accused now lives less than two miles from the crime scene. From Steve. From his grandchildren.
“I have to see him free in our town,” Steve said. “They put him right back in the meth house he was hiding in when the warrant was issued.”
Mental incompetency is notoriously hard to get; it’s why you don’t see more people claiming “not guilty by reason of insanity” and winning.
“They Said No Interpreter Was Available. I Found One.”
Judge Bakker’s ruling reportedly hinged on the defendant’s inability to understand court proceedings due to a cognitive disability. The court claimed it couldn’t find a qualified interpreter to assist him in Michigan.
Steve Fitzhugh wasn’t buying it.
“Said they couldn’t find one in Michigan. I found one in Benton Harbor.”
A History of Violence, a Pattern of Protection
Steve alleges the man who killed his father had 22 assault charges before the murder. Yet those charges never led to more than a night in jail.
Why? Steve believes it’s because he was a confidential informant; protected, not prosecuted.
“He got rides home from jail. Corrupt Police Chief Baller was using this punk as an informant for years.”
Even if those claims remain under investigation, the bigger problem is already confirmed: a judge let a man charged with murder quietly walk out of jail without notifying the victim’s family.
That is not a technical failure. It is an ethical collapse.
Clutch has submitted a FOIA Request to get to the bottom of this.
Judge Bakker’s Pattern of Disregard
This isn’t the first time Judge Bakker’s decisions have raised alarms. Her record includes controversial rulings on competency, secrecy in family court, and dismissal of serious charges under procedural pretexts.
Let us not forget the ex parte communications in People v. Loew, or the utter absurdity that she’s a guest judge over a FOIA lawsuit in Ottawa County.
But the Fitzhugh case stands out and particularly troubles me, because it wasn’t just about a ruling. It was about hiding that ruling from the very people who deserved to be heard.
“There is a lot more to this story,” Steve added. “They just don’t care what this did to my family.”
Why It Matters — and Why We Won’t Let This Go Quietly
There’s something uniquely cruel about telling a grieving family that the man who took their loved one’s life won’t face trial; not because he was found innocent, but because the system chose silence over accountability.
William Fitzhugh didn’t get justice.
His family didn’t get a voice.
…And Judge Bakker didn’t think they deserved one.
What Needs to Happen Now
Clutch Justice is calling for:
- A full investigation into Judge Bakker’s closed-door ruling in the Fitzhugh case
- Legislation requiring victim family notification before any release in homicide cases
- Oversight of competency proceedings that functionally block families from justice
- Public review of confidential informant protection practices in violent crime cases
Because when the courts start operating in shadows, they stop serving the people.
Allegan County Misconduct Coverage
- Why is Judge Bakker Still Pursuing Charges After a Successful Appeal?
- Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission Releases 2024 Report: Judge Marge Bakker’s Ex Parte Conduct Featured Anonymously
- A New Robe, Old Habits? Scrutiny Follows Christopher Burnett to the Bench in Allegan County
📬 Got a tip about Judge Bakker or the Fitzhugh case? Email me at hello@clutchjustice.com
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