Last 3 Men Charged for Alleged Involvement in Plot to Kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Found Not Guilty

Eric Molitor and twin brothers William and Michael Null were acquitted of providing material support to acts of terrorism and illegal possession of firearms

The last three men of the 14 charged in connection with the alleged attempted kidnapping of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at her Antrim County cottage in 2020 have been found not guilty.

After a three-week trial, Eric Molitor, 39, and twin brothers William and Michael Null, both 41, were acquitted of charges of providing material support to acts of terrorism and illegal possession of firearms to which they had previously pleaded not guilty, ABC News reported.

An Antrim County jury reached its verdict on Friday after a day of deliberations after closing arguments were made on Wednesday, the paper reported.

According to the publication, prosecutors alleged the Null brothers acted as “muscle” and Molitor recorded videos of Whitmer’s vacation home as part of the kidnapping plot.

This booking photo provided by the Antrim County, Mich., Sheriff’s Office shows William Null.

Antrim County Sheriff’s Office via AP, file

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However, William Null testified in court that he did not know he and the other men were going to Whitmer’s home during the night’s surveillance. Molitor, meanwhile, said he “feared for his life” while they were all with Adam Fox, one of the convicted ringleaders, writes ABC News.

This booking photo provided by the Antrim County, Michigan Sheriff’s Office shows Eric Molitor.

Antrim County Sheriff’s Office via AP, file

“What will happen if we don’t do these things?” Molitor explained in court, according to the newspaper. “He [Fox] he didn’t say, ‘Shoot someone’ — that would be a hard no. He didn’t say ‘blow something up’ — that would be hard not to. He said, ‘Make a video.’ I took a video.”

Michael Null refused to testify, according to ABC News.

This booking photo provided by the Antrim County, Mich., Sheriff’s Office shows Michael Null.

Antrim County Sheriff’s Office via AP, file

13 people charged in alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin argued during his closing arguments Wednesday, “All of the defendants here hated our government. All the defendants here hated the police. They thought the policemen were enemies and were ready to go to war with them,” per The The New York Times.

“If you’re going to help someone, knowing that they were planning a terrorist act, that’s wrong,” Rollstin also said at one point, according to ABC News.

Miltor’s defense attorney, William Barnett, however, told the jury in his closing arguments that the state’s case against his client was “weak,” because prosecutors allegedly tried to mislead them with their presentation of evidence, the paper reported.

“This thing just became a good story that they couldn’t back out of. They’re here and they’re taking shortcuts to convict someone, an innocent person,” Barnett told ABC News.

Gretchen Whitmer says she thinks about her safety ‘wherever I go’ after attempted kidnapping

Following the verdict, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement obtained by CNN, “While today’s verdicts are not what we had hoped for, the successes we have achieved in these cases, in both state and federal courts, send a clear message that the acts of domestic terrorism will not be tolerated in our country.”

Whitmer’s office also issued a statement, according to ABC News, saying the alleged kidnapping plot “is the result of violent, divisive rhetoric that is all too common in our country.”

“There must be accountability and consequences for those who commit heinous crimes. Without accountability, extremists will be emboldened,” the statement said.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. AP/Shutterstock Jury convicts two men who planned to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: ‘Threats have no place in our politics’

Molitor and Null’s men were arrested in October 2020 along with 11 other men. U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced at the time that Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were federally indicted for conspiracy to kidnap Governor Whitmer, 52.

Separately, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that Paul Bellar, Shawn Fix, Eric Molitor, Michael Null, William Null, Pete Musico and Joseph Morrison — known to be members or associates of the militia group — have been arrested on state terrorism charges .

Brian Higgins was also arrested and charged with materially supporting a terrorist act, according to ABC News.

Fox, Croft, Musico, Morrison and Bellar were found guilty of their charges by a jury and are currently serving their prison sentences. Franks, Garbin, Higgins and Fix all pleaded guilty to lesser charges, with the latter two still awaiting their prison terms, ABC News reported Friday.

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