Funeral set for Justin Pribbernow, brother awaits evidence hearing on murder charge

LaNia Coleman

MIDLAND -- A funeral is to take place Friday for a Coleman teen stabbed to death last week in his Geneva Township home.

A service for Justin S. Pribbernow, 17, is planned for 11 a.m. at the Christian Celebration Center, 6100 Swede at Wackerly in Midland.

Pribbernow was a member of the church.

He graduated from H.H. Dow High School in June and was to leave for Marine Corps boot camp in March.

Visitation is 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ware-Smith-Woolever Funeral Home, 1200 W. Wheeler, and 10 a.m. until the service begins at the church.

Meanwhile, Pribbernow's 15-year-old brother, Steven J. Pribbernow Jr., remains at the Midland County Jail, held without bond as he awaits a 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, preliminary hearing on one open charge of murder and three counts of assault with intent to murder.

The charges stem from attacks on two other siblings -- Kevin Pribbernow, 15, and Kody Pribbernow, 13 -- and the teens' step-father, Joshua M. Saylor, 32.

Steven Pribbernow was arraigned last week. Midland County Prosecutor Michael Carpenter has charged him as an adult. If convicted of any of the charges, the teen could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Carpenter said the teen "poses a serious risk to our community." He asked court authorities to keep the youth with the adult population in the jail to protect the inmates at the juvenile detention center.

Jessica Saylor, formerly Jessica Pribbernow, adopted Justin, Kevin and Kody after they were removed from their parents' Arenac County home, the Arenac County Independent reported.

Court documents show the teens lived with their parents in Turner until May 2004.

The Saylors were raising seven children in the home about five miles south of Coleman, the (Mount Pleasant) Morning Sun reported.

Many were adopted.

Besides Kevin and Kody Pribbernow, an obituary lists siblings as Tristan, Maysen and Katrina.