News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Bruce Kinsey, left, takes his oath as Judge Laan Curtis looks on. Kinsey testified against his friend Brad Srebnik who is charged in the deaths of Brynn Bills and Abby Hill.

ALPENA — Bruce Kinsey, one of Brad Srebnik’s best friends, said during his testimony in the 26th Circuit Court on Monday that Srebnik told him he killed Brynn Bills by putting her in a choke hold and not letting her go.

He also testified that he saw Srebnik and Josh Wirgau throw cell phones and other items into the Thunder Bay River and Wolf Creek.

Police recovered parts of the handgun they believe Srebnik used to murder Abby Hill and cell phones from the rivers.

Srebnik is charged for the deaths of the two women. The charges against him include two counts of premeditated murder, weapons charges, and disinterment and mutilation of a body. He faces life in prison but denies the allegations.

During his testimony, Kinsey said Srebnik was like his brother and each would do almost anything to help the other. Kinsey lied to police and the prosecution several times, before reaching a plea agreement for his honest testimony.

Kinsey said in August 2021, he stopped by Wirgau’s house to visit Srebnik and Hill. He said Srebnik told him he killed someone the night before, but Kinsey said he didn’t believe him and refused to go out to Srebnik’s truck to see the body because he believed it was a prank.

Wirgau was not home at the time, but later that night, a plan was devised to bury Bills’ body in Wirgau’s backyard. Police found the body a few weeks later.

Kinsey said he had no knowledge of the plan and didn’t help his friends hide the body.

As they tried to cover up their tracks and evade police, Srebnik, Hill, and Wirgau planned on staying the weekend at Kinsey and his girlfriend Amanda Cahoon’s house in Hubbard Lake. Cahoon has since been married and her last name is Aikens.

While there, Kinsey said everyone had a few beers and got high, and then went to bed. The next day, Srebnik asked Kinsey for a ride behind the Holcim Alpena plant where he said the three intended to camp and avoid police. It is there, that Wirgau, during his testimony last week, said Srebnik shot Hill in the back of the head.

After a short time, Srebnik called Kinsey and told him Hill had left with a man in a red car and asked if he could return to get him and Wirgau. Kinsey did, and on the way back to Hubbard Lake, he said, Srebnik told him to pull over twice. Kinsey said he watched Wirgau and Srebnik throw the phones and other items into the water from his rear-view mirror.

During his interviews with police, Kinsey said he lied to protect his friend because he couldn’t believe his friend would do such things. He also lied while being questioned after he received an investigative subpoena.

He has served his one-year jail sentence at the Alpena County Jail, and his probation will wrap up after Srebnik’s trial concludes.

Wirgau reached a plea deal with the state late last year after being charged with a host of crimes including first-degree murder. In exchange for his honest testimony, Wirgau pleaded guilty to charges from the destruction of Bills’ body and other felonies. He faces no less than 15 years in prison and no more than 30 years.

The trial continues today at 8:30 a.m. in the 26th Circuit Court in Alpena.