John Joyce

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A Rockford man charged with murder was dating the victim’s estranged wife, court records show.

Thomas Patrick Olman, 49, was arraigned Tuesday, April 28 on a charge of second-degree murder in 63rd District Court in Grand Rapids Township.

Rockford police allege he intentionally struck John Ryan Joyce, 49, with his pickup on Dec. 11 in the driveway of a Rockford home. Joyce died in March after developing deep vein thrombosis, or blood clotting.

In a probable cause affidavit contained in court records, officers said Joyce lived at 4 Gibraltar Drive.

On Dec. 11 about 10:45 p.m., Olman was waiting in a truck near Gilbraltar and Glencarin drives while Joyce’s wife went to retrieve her vehicle from the driveway. Joyce and his wife were divorcing and she was dating Olman, police wrote.

She learned that Joyce had taken her car keys and he refused to give them back. Instead, he told her he knew Olman was waiting nearby and he intended to give the keys directly to Olman.

Joyce was walking toward Olman’s pickup when, suddenly, the pickup raced toward him, police were told.

“Joyce told (an officer) that Olman was flooring it and going as fast as he could in distance before being hit,” an officer wrote.

“Joyce said he tried to get out of the way of the truck but it swerved toward him,” according to the affidavit.

Joyce also told officers that, after he was struck, Olman exited the truck and began punching and kicking him.

Olman, who stayed at the scene as police responded, told officers that he was simply trying to get away from Joyce. He said that Joyce stepped in front of his pickup.

But Rockford police officers, in the affidavit, said tire tracks backed up Joyce’s version of events.

Olman initially was charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, but Kent County prosecutors added the second-degree murder charge after Joyce’s death.