Jeffrey Vernon Michaels, the Fresno man accused of stabbing to death his ex-girlfriend, has been placed in an observation cell at the Fresno County Jail.
Michaels was expected to be arraigned Tuesday for the murder of Tatyana McIntyre, 30, but the hearing was continued to Thursday.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Adam Christopherson said Michaels, 39, was placed in the observation cell over concern for his safety.
Fresno County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Botti said the observation cell is used in cases where “a person has shown a propensity to be a danger to themselves.”
“They can be placed in an isolated setting (observation cell) so correctional officers can easily monitor their behavior and re-evaluate to see if they are fit to go back to their regular housing unit,” Botti said. “There is no timeline, it depends on how the person progresses or regresses.”
Michaels has been at the center of one of the city’s most talked about crimes in recent years. The victim, a mother of seven children, was reported missing by her family on Aug. 4, prompting police to search multiple locations with no luck.
Through their investigation, detectives learned McIntyre’s last known location was at Michaels’ home in the 5700 block of East Grove Avenue, near Church and Jensen avenues. After securing a search warrant, detectives entered the home and found McIntyre dead with lacerations over her upper body. The home showed evidence of a struggle.
While police searched for Michaels, they determined by using of Flock cameras that he fled to Salinas. After talking with a Fresno detective, Michaels was convinced to return to the city and turn himself in on Thursday.
Michaels is charged with one count of murder, plus an enhancement for using a deadly weapon, a knife. He remains in jail on a no-bail hold.
The Fresno Bee
A Valley native, Robert has worked at The Fresno Bee since 1994, covering various topics including education, business, courts and agriculture.