Murders of 3 rappers found in Highland Park last year were gang-related, state police say
Nearly a year after the bodies of three rappers were found in a Highland Park apartment building, Michigan State Police have released an update on the case.
State police say they have determined that Armani Kelly, Montoya Givens, and Dante Wicker were killed in a gang-related incident.
The three men were reported missing on Jan. 21, 2023. They were supposed to perform a show at Lounge 31 in Detroit, but it was canceled due to equipment problems.
In the update MSP released Tuesday, officials say they do not believe there is a connection between Lounge 31 and the murders.
Authorities began investigating after Kelly's mother, Lorrie Kemp, reported him missing. After not hearing from him for 24 hours, she drove from the Standish area to Detroit to pass out missing person flyers near Lounge 31.
After seeing CBS Detroit's story on Kemp searching for her son, the families of Wicker and Givens were prompted to file missing person reports since the three men were together the night they disappeared, according to Michael McGinnis, Detroit police commander of major crime.
On Jan. 28, a juvenile was arrested for possessing Kelly's vehicle. Still, at the time, authorities said they did not believe the juvenile was connected to the disappearance of the three men.
On Feb. 2, 2023, state police announced that multiple bodies were found in an apartment building located on the corner of McNichols and Log Cabin in Highland Park, and the next day, the victims were identified as the three missing rappers.
In the update from Tuesday, state police say the investigation has generated suspects, but detectives need to conduct more interviews and do more investigative work.
Anyone with any information about this case is asked to call 855-MICH-TIP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
Detectives plan to wrap up the investigation within the next month and submit a report to the prosecutor's office for review.
