St. Clair County man convicted of killing girl along trail sentenced to life in prison

vancallis

(MOUNT CLEMENS) — A St. Clair County man convicted of killing a 14-year-old girl along a popular suburban Detroit nature trail has been sentenced to life in prison. James VanCallis said during a telephone interview prior to sentencing that investigators charged the wrong person and “the real perpetrator is out there.” The 34-year-old was sentenced Wednesday to the mandatory term of life in prison without parole. A Macomb County jury last month convicted VanCallis of murder, kidnapping and assault with intent to rape in the death of April Millsap. Authorities say the St. Clair County man hit the teen with a motorcycle helmet and stomped on her in July 2014 while she was walking her dog along Macomb Orchard Trail in Armada. His lawyer says there’s no DNA evidence linking VanCallis to the crime.