Left: Kelley LaLonde (Obituary). Right: Jonathan Zieroff (Carrollton Township Police Department).
A 30-year-old man in Michigan may spend the rest of his life behind bars after the girlfriend he allegedly abused and tortured for weeks died, suffering more than 50 individualized injuries and spending months on life support.
New details in the case were revealed Monday during the preliminary hearing of Jonathan M. Zieroff, after he was formally charged with murder in the 2024 death of Kelley K. LaLonde, court records show.
Prior to the victim's death, Zieroff had been facing one count of felony assault with intent to murder over the dayslong attack on LaLonde that left her bleeding from her brain, among other injuries.
As Law&Crime previously reported, the underlying case began after LaLonde's mother reported her missing because she had not answered her phone or shown up for work for five days.
The mother on Sept. 12 went to the home Zieroff shared with his mother, where she saw LaLonde's car parked outside, and requested a police welfare check.
Responding officers with the Carrollton Township Police Department found LaLonde in horrific conditions. She was unresponsive, soaked in her own urine, her breathing was shallow, and her fists were clenched.
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In the emergency room, the extent of her injuries painted a dire picture. Her feet and arms were covered in bruises, her skull had been fractured, and she suffered from extensive vaginal bruising.
The alleged abuser, however, was not home when police arrived. Zieroff's mother allegedly told investigators he left earlier that day to meet with a friend. When pressed to explain the hurt woman in bed, the defendant's mother said her son had offered various accounts of what happened to her, prosecutors allege.
During Monday's hearing, a nurse practitioner testified about her examination of LaLonde, which took place shortly after she was first admitted to the hospital. The nurse said she was able to identify 52 distinct injuries on the victim, likely in various stages of healing.
"Because of the severity, darkness, and size, I would say they can't be that old," the nurse told the court, according to a report from MLive. "However, they could also have been worse and this is just what we're seeing."
An autopsy determined that LaLonde's cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head along with related complications, and the manner of death was determined to be a homicide.
Investigators obtained and executed a search warrant on Zieroff's home that same day and seized evidence, MLive reported. They also pinged Zieroff's cellphone, eventually locating him in a wooded area a short distance from the home and taking him into custody.
The hearing reportedly concluded with prosecutors asking Saginaw County District Judge Terry L. Clark to order that Zieroff's case be bound over to circuit court on charges of torture and open murder. Despite reportedly emphasizing that the prosecution's case appeared a bit "shaky," Clark ruled there was sufficient evidence to grant the request and bound the case to the higher court for trial.
The mother of three was remembered fondly in her obituary:
She had a vibrant spirit, characterized by her love for singing and dancing, which often brought joy to those around her. Her passion for life was evident in her fondness for classic television, particularly her adoration for "I Love Lucy," and her admiration for the legendary Elvis Presley. She loved Michigan Football and often attended games on Saturdays with family and friends.
"Kelley was loved by so many, and [for] all the support we have received during this time we are forever grateful," a GoFundMe page started for her said.
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