Man Shakes Head in Denial as Judge Reads Murder Charges Against Him

The man and woman charged in the waived their rights to pre-exam conferences when they appeared in separate hearings in in Royal Oak on Friday morning. Preliminary hearings were set for January.

Alan Craig Wood, 48, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder and felony murder in the . Tonia Michelle Watson, 40, is charged with felony murder in Dailey's death. Premeditated first-degree murder and felony murder carry a mandatory life imprisonment penalty.

In addition, Watson and Wood have been charged with larceny in a building and unauthorized use of a financial transaction device in the case that Police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue called a tragedy.

“(It) has really affected our department, as well as the entire Royal Oak community,” .

Watson, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, appeared in the media-packed courtroom first with her court-appointed attorney, Jack Holmes.

that Watson told police Wood used his scarf to tie Dailey’s arms behind her back and pulled out and unfolded his knife and said to Watson, “You know what I have to do.”

"Watson then said Wood used his knife to cut Nancy Dailey's throat and stab her in the neck," Barretto said.

Several minutes after officers escorted Watson out of the courtroom Friday, the 6-foot, 170-pound Wood appeared in court, his head shaven. Wood kept his head down during the entire proceeding, shaking his head in denial when Judge Terrence Brennan read the murder charges against him. His attorney is Elias Escobedo.

Oakland County Prosecutor Tricia Dare said all parties agreed upon a date of Jan. 27 at 9 a.m. for the preliminary examinations.

Afterward, Watson’s attorney spoke to reporters outside the courtroom.

“There is an awful lot of material to go through in a case like this,” Holmes said. “There are many issues and lots of material. We were just handed the discovery this morning by the prosecutor’s office and there is more to come.”

Holmes said that at this point Watson is helping him review materials and fashion an appropriate defense for her. “Whatever that may be,” he said.

After Watson's arraignment Tuesday, O’Donohue told reporters she was “cooperative” with law enforcement.

Holmes said that he had not yet been able to review the video of Watson's conversation with the police after she was arrested Nov. 22.

“I understand they are extensive,” he said. “I don’t know what the content is at this point.”