Matthew Torrey Tiggs, Jr., 24, of Eastpointe, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for the Aug. 4, 2023 shooting death of 26-year-old Jean Thomas Butchart in the Van Buren Estates mobile home park in the 16800 block of Lohr Rd. in Van Buren Township.
The victim, who was pulling weeds on his first day on the job as a maintenance worker, was found dead with a bullet wound in the head. Nine charges were filed against Tiggs for this and two other incidents in the mobile home park.
On June 17, 2025 he pled guilty to second-degree murder, assault with intent to murder, and two felony firearm charges. Three charges of possession of a weapon by a felon were dropped, along with a charge of felonious assault and felony firearm.
On July 9, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Kelly Ramsey sentenced him to a prison term of 2 years to 20 years, with credit for time served of 703 days. Fees totaled $402.
A jury trial that had been set for Aug. 25 was canceled.
Van Buren Township Police said Tiggs had approached the victim, produced a handgun and fired it multiple times before fleeing the scene.
Tiggs also was accused of pulling a firearm after an argument with a 45-year-old man around 11:31 a.m. on the previous Friday, July 28, 2023 in the 30 block of Birch Drive in the mobile home park. He pointed the weapon at the man before fleeing the scene. This assault wasn’t discovered until after a shooting on Aug. 6.
Van Buren police were at the mobile home park on Sunday, Aug. 6, investigating the Aug. 4 murder, when they were dispatched to a residence in the 40 block of Birch Drive for multiple gunshots. Officers found a 47-year-old victim suffering from gunshot wounds to the right upper arm and lower back.
Police said Tiggs approached the victim while he was in his vehicle and produced and fired a handgun multiple times, wounding the victim. The defendant then barricaded himself inside the next-door residence.
After a two-hour standoff with the Western Wayne SWAT team negotiating, Tiggs was taken into custody.
He is considered an habitual offender with a second-offense notice. He had pled guilty to a charge of carrying a concealed weapon on Jan. 27, 2019 in Macomb County and served two years in state prison. He was released July 29, 2021.
Butchart, who was born in Ypsilanti, was survived by his parents and two sisters, and was known for his love of the natural world, as he was nicknamed “Nature Boy” by many of his friends, according to his obituary. He earned a bachelor of science degree in environmental studies with an emphasis in hydrology.
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