This following statement is from Chippewa County Prosecutor Rob Stratton:
On July 19, 2022 both Tyler Delong and Jacob Mckerchie were sentenced in the 50th Circuit Court. Delong was convicted back in March 2022 by a jury of his peers to assault with intent to murder, first degree criminal sexual conduct, and unlawful imprisonment.
The events stemmed from a night in which he sexually assaulted a childhood friend and stabbed the man who came to save her in the face. Both victims survived and testified bravely. Today they were able to get justice when Judge Lambros sentenced Delong to 30 years in prison. He will be eligible to see a parole board after 18 years and 6 months.
Jacob Mckerchie was sentenced today to 50 years in prison for the brutal and senseless murder of his former girlfriend. He will be eligible to see a parole board after 22 years and 6 months. No sentence will ever come close to justice for what he did, but Mckerchie received the maximum penalty possible under the current law.
In both cases, the Sault Police Department provided thorough investigations that permitted the cases to be fully prosecuted. Officers responded quickly and not only secured the scenes and preserved the evidence necessary to bring these men to justice, but also treated the families and victims with respect and compassion. Chief Bierling stated “Sault PD will continue to do its part to ensure that those who choose to commit heinous and evil crimes in our community are brought to tough, swift, and merciless justice”.
While COVID19 has delayed justice for victims due to trials being paused by the Michigan Supreme Court, it has not prevented it. Chippewa County Prosecutor Stratton stated, “We are seeing a significant upswing in violent crime since the pandemic began. My office will continue to prioritize getting violent offenders off the streets, and bringing them to justice. There is nothing in this world worse than losing a child. Mr. Mckerchie took someone’s child from them, and Mr. Delong very nearly succeeded in doing the same thing. These men needed to be punished and removed from society and today, that happened.”
Law enforcement and the Prosecutor’s Office will continue to work hand-in-hand to ensure that Chippewa County remains a safe place to live.
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