Saginaw man charged with murder days after being released from jail

SAGINAW, MI -- A Saginaw man recently spent 195 days in jail on drug and firearms charges. Free for a few days after a judge dismissed the charges against him, he is now back in jail and newly charged with killing a man over the summer. Corey L. McDaniel, 33, was fatally shot inside his house in the 700 block of South Porter about 5:20 p.m. on July 3. A witness told police they saw Robert L. Bell III, 34, and another man enter McDaniel's house, then shortly thereafter heard a gunshot from within, prosecutors allege. The witness saw Bell and the other man run from the house with a backpack they didn't have on entering, prosecutors allege. Bell and the other man threatened the witness with handguns and stole marijuana from them before fleeing, prosecutors allege. Investigators on Sept. 4 executed a search warrant on Bell's house. The same day, they detained Bell during a traffic stop, finding a pistol, ammunition, and individually bagged narcotics in the vehicle, prosecutors allege. Bell on Sept. 8 was arraigned on four counts of third-offense felony firearm and single counts of carrying a concealed weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, assaulting or resisting police, and possessing fewer than 25 grams of a narcotic or cocaine. Bell was held without bond, though he wasn't charged with murder. Saginaw County District Judge David D. Hoffman on Wednesday, March 18, dismissed the charges against Bell without prejudice at the request of defense attorney Ayiteh Sowah. As a result, Bell was freed from jail for the first time in nearly 200 days. Two days later, prosecutors issued a warrant for Bell, charging him with open murder, carrying a concealed weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, and two more counts of third-offense felony firearm, all stemming from McDaniel's homicide. Bridgeport Township police located and arrested Bell the afternoon of Sunday, March 22. The next morning, Bell appeared before Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank for arraignment on the five charges related to McDaniel's death, as well as the nine charges he previously faced from the Sept. 4 traffic stop, which prosecutors refiled. Frank ordered Bell to be held without bond. Sowah asked the judge to enter not-guilty pleas on his client's behalf. He declined to comment on the case to MLive. Prosecutors haven't commented on a motive for McDaniel's killing. McDaniel was a lifetime Saginaw resident who had worked for Vlasic Pickles. He was survived by one son and five daughters, the source of his greatest joy, according to his obituary. "His heart was sweet and as beautiful as gold," his obituary states. "Corey's beautiful eyes and bright smile would light up any room he entered. He loved and held his family very close to his heart. Corey loved to laugh and crack jokes. He will be greatly missed by family and friends." McDaniel's homicide was Saginaw's 10th of 14 throughout 2025. Bell's criminal history includes nine felony convictions dating to 2017. The Michigan Department of Corrections discharged him in September 2023 after he'd served two years on two convictions of felony firearm. Bell is to appear for a preliminary examination at 1:30 p.m. on April 8.