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Bodies Found In Abandoned Apartment Complex Amid Search For Three Missing Detroit Rappers
Authorities say "three male victims" were discovered in the basement of an abandoned structure. However, they have yet to confirm whether they are Armani Kelly, Dante Wicker, and Montoya Givens, who disappeared on Jan. 21 following the sudden cancellation of a show.
Multiple bodies have been discovered amid the search for three Detroit-area musicians who disappeared nearly two weeks ago.
Michigan State Police (MSP) were called to assist the Detroit Police Department after “three male victims” were found in the basement of an abandoned apartment complex near McNichols Road and Log Cabin St. in Highland Park, according to MSP’s Second District. The Homicide Task Force announced Friday afternoon that they’d identified the bodies, however, they were withholding the names pending notification of their families.
Earlier in the day, MSP Public Information Officer 1st. Lt. Mike Shaw said a postmortem examination could take up to 48 hours, citing the “extreme cold.”
State Police referred to the building as being “in very poor condition and rat-infested,” slowing down their investigation. Lt. Shaw said there were also “a lot of squatters” inside the structure, according to The Detroit News.
Preliminary findings on the cause and manner of the men’s deaths were not released.
The grisly find comes amid the days-long searches for three local rappers: Armani Kelly, 28, of Oscoda; Dante Wicker, 31, of Melvindale; and Montoya Givens, 31, of Detroit, according to Detroit Fox affiliate WJBK.
Kelly’s fiancée, Taylor Perrin, told the Detroit Free Press that Kelly’s family was notified to head to Detroit in light of the discovery.
"It's just been a nightmare that I want to wake up from, and I want my fiancé home,” she previously told ClickOnDetroit/Local 4 News. “He didn't deserve any of this, and I just pray that he’s somewhere out there. We need him.”
The three men were slated to attend a birthday performance at Lounge 31 in Detroit’s east side on Jan. 21, according to several outlets. Kelly, who used the stage name "Marley Whoop,” and Wicker, who used the name “B12,” were scheduled to perform before the event was abruptly canceled, according to the Detroit News.
The venue’s owner, Darnell Williams, told the Detroit Free Press the cancellation stemmed from technical failures from their DJ.
It was unclear if the three missing men ever made it to the club, though Kelly reportedly called his fiancée, saying he and the others planned to look around for local open-mic events in light of the cancellation.
The woman reported radio silence from Kelly’s phone and social media, come 7:30 p.m.
A man claiming to be one of the men’s brothers told reporters that the event was a “set up” and that one of them was an intended target, WJBK reported.
Kelly’s mother, Lorrie Kemp, told WJBK she felt guilty because her son had picked up the other two men in his vehicle before heading to the event, stating, “It breaks my heart.”
Sometime last week, Kelly’s 2017 Chevrolet Equinox was found in Warren — about 20 miles north of Detroit, according to NBC News. Details were slim about where and how the vehicle was found, though Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer stated nothing immediately suggested foul play.
“There was no blood or anything of a nature that would lead us to believe they were either transported or murdered in that particular vehicle,” Dwyer stated.
However, the vehicle was reportedly moved more than once after the men’s disappearances, according to WJBK.
A 15-year-old male juvenile from Warren was believed to be in possession of the vehicle and was subsequently taken into custody.
Commissioner Dwyer called it a "significant arrest," according to the Detroit News.
State police are expected to release additional details as the investigation continues.
