KENTWOOD, Mich. — A Kentwood district judge dismissed charges against a woman who locked her friend inside a storage unit, where the friend later died from a methamphetamine overdose. The judge ruled the death to be a “tragic accident” and not a criminal act, sparking shock and disappointment from the victim’s family.
On Thursday, Kentwood District Judge Amanda Sterkenburg ruled that Morgan Wingeier, 32, would not face charges of involuntary manslaughter or unlawful imprisonment in connection with the death of Corinne Abosamra, 33. The charges, had they been upheld, could have led to a prison sentence of up to 15 years for Wingeier.
Wingeier, visibly emotional, wiped away tears as the judge delivered her ruling. Abosamra’s parents, Bruce and Karen Ghastin, sat quietly in the back of the courtroom, their grief evident. Bruce Ghastin expressed his disbelief at the decision, calling it a failure of justice.
“The judge just treated her (Abosamra) with disregard, that she made bad choices,” said Ghastin. “This sends a message that her life didn’t matter.”
Abosamra’s parents had not known their daughter was homeless and living in a storage unit until after her death. They learned that Wingeier had allowed Abosamra to stay in the unit due to her homelessness but had locked her inside the storage unit on the day of her death, leaving her without a working phone or any means of escape.
According to police, Abosamra had been locked inside for over 10 hours before a fire broke out in the unit. Surveillance footage showed Wingeier locking the unit at 12:26 p.m. on November 7, 2023, and leaving with her mother. She told police she had planned to return later that day to unlock the unit but never made it back in time.
Around 8:30 p.m., smoke was seen coming from the storage unit, and by 9:00 p.m., flames were visible. Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly before 11:00 p.m., finding the unit still padlocked from the outside. They were able to break the lock and discover Abosamra’s body inside. The fire’s origin remains undetermined.
The Kent County Medical Examiner ruled that Abosamra’s death was caused by a methamphetamine overdose. The report indicated that she had used meth within an hour of her death.
In court, Wingeier’s defense argued that the death was an “unimaginable and unforeseeable freak accident.” Her attorney contended that Wingeier had not unlawfully confined Abosamra and that the tragic incident was the result of Abosamra’s own actions, specifically her drug use.
The prosecution, however, argued that Wingeier’s actions were negligent, claiming that had she returned to unlock the unit as planned, Abosamra would not have died in the fire or from the overdose. The prosecution’s argument hinged on the fact that Wingeier knew Abosamra was locked inside with no way to contact anyone for help.
Judge Sterkenburg acknowledged that the situation was deeply tragic but emphasized that, under the law, Wingeier’s actions did not meet the criteria for involuntary manslaughter or unlawful imprisonment. She noted that Abosamra had voluntarily stayed in the unit and was not physically restrained.
“These are poor life choices, but that is all,” Judge Sterkenburg said. “Though most of us will never be in a situation where that is a choice we have to consider, is it better to leave a friend in the wind with no roof over her head? Or would that make her worse off?”
Despite the ruling, Abosamra’s father remains adamant that Wingeier’s decision to lock his daughter inside the unit directly contributed to her death. “Corinne did not choose to be there after hour 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,” Ghastin said. “To say that Morgan’s actions had nothing to do with what happened is just preposterous.”
The decision has ignited debate over the value of human life, particularly for those grappling with addiction and homelessness. Ghastin expressed concern that the ruling could set a dangerous precedent in cases involving vulnerable individuals.
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker has stated that he plans to review the ruling and may consider appealing the decision to Kent County Circuit Court. The outcome of any potential appeal could have significant implications for how cases like this are handled in the future.
