Daniel Lee Banaszak Sr., 50, was fatally shot on August 6, 2020, at a house on 55th Street in Pullman, Michigan. Deputies found his body about 6:15 p.m. and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting grew out of a dispute over money and an eviction; Banaszak had been hired by 63-year-old Robert Eakins Jr. to help remove a tenant without court proceedings, and the two men’s relationship deteriorated in the days before the killing.

Eakins shot Banaszak in the back of the neck with a 12-gauge shotgun Eakins had purchased earlier that day. Eakins was arrested at the scene and claimed self-defense, saying Banaszak was trying to break into his home and had threatened him. Prosecutors presented evidence that contradicted that account, noting the recent shotgun purchase, inquiries about self-defense law, lack of forced entry, and the fact Banaszak was shot from behind.

An Allegan County jury convicted Eakins of first-degree premeditated murder and a weapons offense; he was sentenced to life without parole. Banaszak’s wife, Pamela, described the loss to their family, including six grandchildren. A wrongful death lawsuit was also filed alleging the shotgun was sold unlawfully to someone who bought it on Eakins’ behalf.

Did anyone in Pullman or the surrounding area have contact with Daniel in the days before August 6, 2020, or information about the dispute?