Trial begins for murder suspect

The man accused of murdering an MSU student, her boyfriend and members of her boyfriend’s family began standing trial for an unrelated crime Monday in the 17th Circuit Court in Kent County.

Troy Brake, 31, of Grand Rapids, is being tried for allegedly beating a prostitute on Oct. 16, 2008 in Grand Rapids.

Following that arrest, weapons were found in his home that matched the gun used to murder MSU student Katherine Brown’s boyfriend Jeremy Zimmer, his mother, Sharmaine, and his brother, Tyler. Brown died of blunt force trauma to the head.

Brake is scheduled to begin trial for the quadruple murder case May 19 in Ottawa County’s 20th Circuit Court.

A jury has been selected in the case of the assault of the prostitute, and a hearing is scheduled today at 8:30 a.m.