Deranged Michigan gunman who killed 5 was a child abuser and locked in toxic divorce battle, court records show
The gun-toting Michigan maniac who killed five people before turning up dead Friday had a history of domestic abuse and was locked in a bitter divorce battle, court records show.Chad Hickman’s final social media posts blasted his ex-wife’s “b–lshit” allegations amid their failing marriage, which included her reporting to police his history of child abuse.The details of the case aren’t entirely clear, but Hickman, 39, was sentenced to a year in jail after being convicted in 2024 of fourth-degree child abuse and contributing to delinquency of children in connection with a 2010 criminal case, according to court records.The court, however, dismissed other charges he was facing, including two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.It is unclear how many kids the couple had together.Katie Hickman, who now goes by Katie Frye, fumed Saturday that prosecutors let her ex-husband walk, allowing for the senseless tragedy that claimed the life of a teenage boy and his mother.“Missaukee county needs to be held responsible for the death of this child and the other victims! Six people are dead and one child is in critical condition,” Frye slammed on Facebook Saturday.“Missaukee county prosecutor and Judge Ransom let this man walk free after everything he did to my children and I and then when he was released he was allowed to continue to torment us and no one stopped him and now innocent lives were taken.”Frye had alleged in divorce filings that Hickman was inherently violent and that their marriage was “characterized by control, coercion, and fear,” according to the documents.She also claimed she was forced to bear the brunt of the financial burden with Hickman only working for one year during their 12-year marriage, despite Frye dealing with injuries that limited her own ability to work.
Hickman also allegedly stole cash that the couple planned to use to renovate a rental property they shared.“She testified that she lacked access to financial re...