By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A Brighton Township man has been bound over for trial on attempted murder charges after authorities say he tried to electrocute his wife and poison his kids.

35-year old Bradley James Crainer was arrested last September after the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office determined that he had opened a natural gas line inside his vacant home in a failed attempt to destroy it. The investigation further revealed that he placed what was called an “injurious substance” into a family member’s meal that caused that person to become temporarily ill. That substance was revealed to be Benadryl he allegedly mixed into a smoothie for his wife and children, and later a glass of wine he urged his wife to drink.

Crainer had been originally charged with a count of preparation to burn and another for adulterated food. The Livingston County Prosecutor’s Office added one count of attempted murder last month and three counts of second-degree child abuse. After hearing from Crainer’s now ex-wife, and two sheriff’s detectives on Tuesday, 53rd District Court Judge Daniel Bain said there was enough evidence to send the case for trial in circuit court on the attempted murder, poisoning, and arson charges, but dismissed the child abuse counts, saying that based on the evidence, they were “problematic.”

Testimony Tuesday indicated that the attempted murder charge was for an incident in which Crainer is accused of trying to electrocute his wife while she was in the bathtub. Authorities say it only failed because he used a GFCI outlet, which tripped the circuit. Judge Bain said had it not been that type of outlet, “we may be here on a completely different charge.”

Crainer, who was found competent to stand trial last month, had worked for South Lyon Community Schools as an occupational therapist. However, that position was terminated by the Board of Education last fall after he failed to disclose the charges brought against him.

Crainer remains jailed on a $500,000 bond. If convicted on the attempted murder count, he faces up to life in prison.