People of Michigan v. Heather Darlene Childers

── People of Michigan v. Heather Darlene Childers ── Court: Michigan Court of Appeals Date: May 21, 2026 Category: General If this opinion indicates that it is “FOR PUBLICATION,” it is subject to revision until final publication in the Michigan Appeals Reports. STATE OF MICHIGAN COURT OF APPEALS PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, UNPUBLISHED May 21, 2026 Plaintiff-Appellee, 10:23 AM v No. 366350 Montcalm Circuit Court HEATHER DARLENE CHILDERS, LC No. 2022-028785-FH Defendant-Appellant. Before: WALLACE, P.J., and LETICA and FEENEY, JJ. PER CURIAM. Defendant appeals by right her jury-trial convictions and resulting sentence for first-degree home invasion, MCL 750.110a(2); assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder (AWIGBH), MCL 750.84; and aggravated domestic violence, MCL 750.81a(2). The trial court sentenced defendant to serve concurrent terms of 54 months to 20 years’ imprisonment, 54 months to 10 years’ imprisonment, and 12 months’ imprisonment, respectively. We affirm. I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND This case arises out of defendant’s assault of her father, Jerry Andrews, and his caregiver, Karma Johnson, on August 31, 2021. Johnson had been working for Andrews since her husband passed in 2019. Johnson performed housework, cooking, and laundry services for Andrews, and additionally helped make sure that Andrews took his medication. Johnson and Andrews had become close friends over the years. Defendant lived in the lakefront vacation cottage at issue for a period of time during her childhood, Andrews eventually came to live there full-time, and defendant maintained a bedroom there as of August 31, 2021. Defendant generally had permission to come and go freely, but she had an unfriendly relationship with Johnson, so she tried to visit her father when Johnson was not present. On the day of the assault, defendant parked her car behind Johnson’s car, blocking it in, and then approached the house while shouting. Johnson locked the front door and then asked Andrews to go out and speak with defendant and either ask her to leave or to allow Johnson to leave. Andrews went outside and had a brief conversation with defendant in which he told defendant that she needed to leave. During this conversation, Andrews was standing on the porch, -1- but defendant was not. When Andrews thereafter turned around to go back inside the house, defendant then angrily ran up onto the porch behind him with a paring knife (with a two-inch blade) in her hand, seemingly to stab Andrews in the back. Johnson, who had been watching from the doorway, stepped out and blocked the knife with her right hand, resulting in it cutting her hand between her middle and forefinger. In the ensuing altercation, Johnson gained possession of the knife and dropped it down the gap between the porch floorboards. Meanwhile, Andrews and defendant fell down onto the porch floor, Andrews placed defendant in a headlock, and defendant bit him on both hands. Andrews also suffered an injury to his foot, which was understood to be the result of striking a nail on the porch. Defendant, Andrews, and Johnson struggled on the porch for a short time before Johnson and Andrews managed to get back inside the house with the help of a neighbor, who also called 911. Johnson held the storm door closed to keep defendant from entering the house and tried to make sure Andrews was okay in light of the injury to his foot. Meanwhile, defendant and Andrews were yelling at each other, with Andrews repeatedly telling defendant to leave. Defendant then was able to pull the door open