Vanderwall appears in court again in Traverse City murder case

Hunter Vanderwall returned to Grand Traverse County 86th District Court for a rescheduled hearing after a prior mental health evaluation delayed the case against him in the killing of Traverse City Parking Services employee Lawrence Boyd.

The hearing matters because it keeps the case moving through the local court system, where a judge will eventually decide whether prosecutors have enough evidence to send it on to 13th Circuit Court. Vanderwall, 19, faces felony murder, assaulting a police officer and breaking and entering a vehicle charges in the downtown shooting death.

Boyd, 32, was shot and killed while working in the Larry C. Hardy Parking Deck, also known as the State Street parking structure, in downtown Traverse City. Police were called to the deck around 7:48 a.m. on Nov. 15, 2025. The killing immediately tied a workplace homicide to one of the city’s most visible public spaces, a place used daily by downtown workers, city employees and commuters.

Investigators said the homicide was linked to an earlier weekend case involving the attempted murder of a Traverse City police officer late Saturday night. Two teenagers were initially in custody in connection with the broader incident, and the investigation widened into a multi-defendant case as the months went on.

The court calendar has already shifted several times. A probable cause hearing set for Feb. 17 was canceled, and a preliminary hearing was then scheduled for Feb. 24 in Grand Traverse County 86th District Court at 280 Washington St., Suite 206, in Traverse City. Later reporting said that hearing was postponed again because of complex issues, with the defense asking for more time. By April 28, five people faced charges in connection with Boyd’s killing.

The case has remained visible downtown as well as in court. On Workers’ Memorial Day, April 28, city officials unveiled a memorial plaque for Boyd at the parking deck where he died. For Boyd’s family, the next court steps will determine whether the case stays in district court for more proceedings or advances toward circuit court, keeping the focus on both the criminal charges and the public space where a city worker was killed on the job.