Key Woman In Flint Lawsuit Murdered
Our heart goes out to the families of the victims found dead.
We’ve been covering this since the start, and have shared Erin Brockovich interviews on the subject as well.
A woman, Sasha Bell, who was the first to file a lawsuit in connection to the Flint, Michigan water crisis was identified as one of two victims of a fatal shooting that happened at her home earlier this week.
She was identified Thursday, the same day a Flint Water Treatment Plant foreman, who was wanted for questioning in connection with the water crisis was found dead. The other victim, Sacorya Renee Reed, was also found dead inside the home of Sasha Bell’s on Ridgecrest Drive, MLive reported.
No cause of death could be determined in the autopsy of this healthy looking, fit and active young man.
Sasha Bell’s lawsuit named six companies and three current and former government employees, accusing them of shirking their responsibilities for the safety of the water in Flint.
A GoFundMe page was set up to pay for funeral costs for Bell.
Bell filed a lawsuit alleging her 1-year-old suffers from the effects of lead poisoning as a result of contaminated water in Flint. Her child was found in the home and unharmed while she and her female friend were found shot to death.
Bell’s attorney described her as a ‘lovely young woman’ who cared ‘deeply’ for her family and child.
‘Her tragic and senseless death has created a void in the lives of so many people that loved her. Hopefully, her child will be lifted up by the love and support from everyone who cared deeply for Sasha,’ said Corey M. Stern to MLive.
Stern’s New York-based law firm Levy Koningsberg is handling 64 lawsuits filed on behalf of 144 children, along with Flint-based firm Robinson Carter & Crawford.
Notably, the Flint Journal reports that Sasha Bell was the first individual (we are told the first) to file a lawsuit over the water crisis in Flint, which saw city water become contaminated with lead after officials chose to switch to the Flint River as its main drinking source. According to the outlet, Bell claimed that her child suffered from lead poisoning as a result of the switch. Police haven’t stated whether Bell’s child is the one they discovered in the aftermath of this week’s twin shooting (Update – there was another woman found dead at the scene who was allegedly a good friend of Bell’s).
Bell’s lawsuit targeted multiple companies that played a role in treating and monitoring the safety of the water in Flint during the crisis, as well as government workers who the suit claimed were guilty of misconduct. According to Stern, Bell’s case will move forward with a representative for her child.
Up to this point, Bell’s case has bounced around between state and federal courts. As part of 64 lawsuits filed by law firms on behalf of 144 Flint children, the cases were moved to US District Court after first being filed in Genesee Circuit Court. But on April 13, US District Judge John Corbett O’Meara ruled the federal courts had no jurisdiction over the cases and sent them back down to the state level.
He issued a similar ruling six days later regarding a $150 million class-action lawsuit. In that case, Flint residents were seeking damages over water bill payments, arguing that they paid their bills while the city and state delivered water contaminated with lead.”
Our hearts are broken. We will keep you up to date on these stories.
Source: MLive
