Michigan State Police (USA) have confirmed that the three lifeless bodies that were found on Thursday, under rubble, in the basement of an abandoned apartment complex in Highland Park, were those of three Detroit rappers who went missing last month.
Armani Kelly, 38, known by his stage name "Marley Whoop", Dante Wicker, 31, aka "B12" and Montoya Givens or "Jugg", 31, who used to work together since they had met in prison, had been missing since January 21.
Marley Woop was to participate in a rap event for a birthday in a bar, Lounge 31, located on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit.
He had been seen at Lounge 31 between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. that Saturday evening, and the police were certain that Armani Kelly had driven up to pick up his two friends.
MISSING: Armani Kelly, Dante Wickers, and Montoya Givens were last seen at Lounge 31 in Detroit where they were set to perform.
They haven't been seen since.
Armani's vehicle was recovered in Warren, and it's believed that Armani was driving the other two.https://t.co/BsTV4K94VL pic.twitter.com/aP34LqZVmu
— Macomb County Public Alerts (@macombcountypa) January 30, 2023
The car was found two days later in Warren, north of Detroit, hours after Armani Kelly's girlfriend's mother reported it missing to police.
According to her, Kelly had left the bar to find, with her friends, an open stage where to perform.
No activity had been seen on the cell phones of the three men since the day after their disappearance.
Warren Police arrested a 15-year-old boy who was driving Kelly's 2017 Chevrolet Equinox without a license plate.
According to the Detroit News, the teenager told police that a man told him to pick up the car in a western Detroit neighborhood.
The boy's home was searched while in police custody.
Investigation opened for homicides
By examining surveillance cameras around the site where the car was intercepted, investigators were able to see a man wearing gloves cleaning Kelly's car, according to the newspaper.
A homicide investigation has been opened.
Autopsies must be performed on the three remains but "the bodies were frozen and we have to wait for them to thaw to do them," said Lt. Michael Shaw of the Michigan State Police on Friday.
The bodies were found, frozen, in the basements of these abandoned and squatted buildings in Highland Park.
Kelly and Givens were incarcerated together in a correctional center from August 2017 to March 2022, said Chris Gautz, the spokesman for the Michigan Department of Corrections.
The first for armed robbery, the second for car jacking.
Wicker was serving time, also for armed robbery.
Armani Kelly's mother, Lorrie Kemp, wrote on Facebook: "I really appreciate the calls and the concern, but right now I need time to deal with this situation.
Please do not contact me at this time.
I will answer calls as soon as I can.
Thank you for all the love and prayers during this extremely difficult time.”
The families of Montoya Givens and Dante Wicker have started fundraisers on gofundme.com to raise money for burial expenses.
