Watch CBS News

'My Son Was Framed' Says Mom Of Man Convicted Of Killing Teen On Trail

MT. CLEMENS (WWJ) - Immediately after insisting that evidence was falsified, his lawyer made mistakes, and he did not do it — 34-year-old James VanCallis was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of a 14-year-old girl along a popular Macomb County nature trail.

VanCallis' mother, who shouted, "We love you!" as her son was led from the courtroom Wednesday, believes he is an innocent victim of shady police work.

"My son was framed!" Brenda Pupi told WWJ's Charlie Langton and other reporters. "Yes, sir! I believe it with all my heart."

"I have 13 grandchildren and I will put my hand to God that these officers framed my son, because they had to get somebody; they had to nail somebody; they had to have somebody," Pupi said. "The people wanted someone."

April Millsap
April Millsap (Facebook photo)

Authorities said VanCallis hit April Millsap with a motorcycle helmet and stomped on her in July, 2014 while she was walking her dog along the Macomb Orchard Trail in Armada. The teen was reported missing by her mother after she failed to return home from her dog walk, and her body was found hours later in a ditch after the girl's dog alerted joggers to her remains.

A medical examiner ruled Millsap died from blunt head trauma and asphyxia due to neck compression.

Pupi, who refuses to believe her son could've had any hand in that, vowed to fight for his freedom.

"He didn't do this, just like 50 percent of the people out there," Pupi said. "There might be 50 percent out there who hate my son, and that's because of all the media coverage...but I'll tell you what: If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to get my son out."

VanCallis, who did not take the stand during his trial, tried to state his defense in court on Thursday. Before the judge cut him off, VanCallis insisted that he did not kill the teen; that he didn't even know her.

"This is a sad chain of events that somehow I'm wrapped up in," VanCallis said. "There's a fraud that's been perpetuated in this case." [Read more].

A defense lawyer has said there's no DNA evidence linking VanCallis to Millsap's death. However, three witnesses said they saw him talking with Millsap along the trail shortly before her body was discovered, and a shoe print on Millsap's body also matched the "unique" print of athletic shoe worn by VanCallis, prosecutors said.

Asked by Langton what he says to VanCaillis' claim that he was framed by police who were after him, Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said he's not buying it.

"No one's ever heard of this guy before," Smith said, then running down some of the evidence that linked VanCallis to the crime.

"His phone puts him there, pings on his phone put him there, his pictures with the indentations on April from his helmet, his tennis shoes, his motorcycle...We have pictures from his cell phone of his motorcycle before he modified it, and after he modified it. After he modified it, that's the exact motorcycle that's on these pictures from the home surveilence system," Smith said.

"I said this the other day," he added. "This is really a model of how inner investigation, inner police department investigation should go."

VanCallis said he will appeal his conviction for first-degree murder, kidnapping and assault with intent to rape — even filling out the forms while in the courtroom.

[MORE: Man Sentenced To Life In Prison In Murder Of April Millsap]

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.