Former Michigan State basketball star Keith Appling pleads guilty to murder of relative

Former Michigan State basketball player Keith Appling pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Monday, in connection with a fatal shooting that resulted in the death of his relative.

Appling also pleaded guilty to a felony firearm charge in connection to the shooting and death of Clyde Edmonds, 66, in 2021. As part of his plea deal, Appling agreed to a prison sentence of 18 to 40 years for the murder charge and another two consecutive years for the firearm charge. The other two counts of felony firearm that were brought against him are set to be dismissed during his sentence hearing on March 3.

Appling, 31, was charged in June 2021 for the fatal shooting of Edmonds, whose wife is Appling's mother's first cousin, in May of that year. Appling's girlfriend, Natalie Bannister, was also charged as an accessory to the shooting and for lying to officers; she pleaded guilty to the lying charge in July 2022 and received 1.5 years of probation, and the accessory charge was dismissed.

Attempts by the Free Press to reach Appling's attorney Monday afternoon were unsuccessful.

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On May 22, 2021, Detroit police were dispatched to a home on Whitcomb Street at approximately 7:10 p.m. in response to a reported shooting, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. Officers found Edmonds on the front lawn of the home with multiple gunshot wounds, medics transported him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities believe Appling and Edmonds had an argument that escalated to violence and Appling fired multiple times before fleeing the scene, it is also alleged that Bannister, 30, of Jackson, drove him away from the home and lied to officers investigating the shooting.

At the time of Appling's charging in June 2021, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Appling had clearly been "spiraling downward for some time."

"Many of those that tried to intervene with this defendant were hoping that he would get on the right track and stay there," she said in a statement. "It is always tragic when one with so much promise, talent, and possibility is alleged to have committed the most serious of crimes.”

Appling had all the markings of a star before his fall from grace. As a junior at MSU, Appling was the team's leading scorer but his college career ended on a sour note with a wrist injury that disrupted his professional prospects. He later played in the NBA G League, spent time with the Orlando Magic in 2016 and played professionally in Italy in 2019. In recent years, Appling's name has appeared in headlines less for his skills on the court and more for his run-ins with the law.

Contact Miriam Marini: mmarini@freepress.com