On April 5, world-famous rapper Eminem woke up and discovered a man standing behind him, said a police officer from Clinton Township on Wednesday.
Initially, Marshall Mathers first thought the man was his nephew. He later discovered it was a stranger who broke into his home. Police officer Adam Hackstock identified the man as Matthew David Hughes.
Eminem's life at risk
According to The News, during a preliminary examination held in the Macomb County District Court, Hackstock said that when Mathers questioned Hughes' reason for being in his home, the suspect replied that he was there to kill the rapper.
Since the incident, police officers have taken Hughes into custody and charged him with first-degree home invasion and malicious property destruction. On Wednesday, the suspect appeared in court in cuffs wearing a prison jumpsuit after his first appearance in June.
Eminem was not inside the court during the hearing on Wednesday, but his attorney watched the judge's proceedings on video.
The official in charge of the case, Judge Jacob Femminineo Jr., found probable cause to proceed with Hughes's trial. He scheduled an arraignment for September 28 in the Macomb County Circuit Court.
Testifying in court, Hackstock said he arrived at Mathers' residence in a Clinton Township community and discovered a security guard and Hughes wrestling on the ground. When the suspect saw the officer, he muttered "friend," and stated he was a resident in the area.
After the security guard detained Hughes, Hackstock spoke with Eminem for over an hour and a half, as reported by USA Today.
Escorting the invader
Mathers revealed that he escorted the suspect inside his home, through several rooms, and finally towards the house's exit. Hackstock said that during the incident, Hughes was not found to have a weapon.
However, authorities discovered a reddish-colored brick inside one of the home's windows on the west side. Dan Quinn, a Clinton Township detective, testified that security cameras placed around the residence captured the incident. The video footage showed Hughes was on the premises for quite some time before going through the busted window.
Authorities placed Hughes on a $50,000 cash bond. Hughe's attorney, Richard Glanda, requested to reduce the bond, but Judge Femminineo Jr. denied it. He said Eminem's fame and popularity does not affect his decision.
Prosecutor Paul Bukowski told the court that the suspect was currently homeless. Court authorities appointed Glanda as Hughes' attorney, who initially requested the suspect to conduct a competency evaluation, which he turned down.
Outside the courtroom on Wednesday, Glanda said he believes Hughes had some sort of mental issue that would explain his actions.
According to The Sun, the world-famous rapper was the victim of a death hoax last month. On Twitter, social media users were alarmed after the viral post #RIPEminem began spreading around the internet.
The rumors began after one Twitter user posted that he killed Eminem, resulting in fans worldwide scurrying about to find the truth behind the rapper's condition.
There have been several past occasions of death rumors surrounding the famous artist. However, Eminem and his team have never publicly entertained the hoaxes.
