(WWJ) On January 21, aspiring rappers Armani Kelly, Dante Wicker and their friend Montoya Givens disappeared after their gig in Detroit was cancelled. Nearly two weeks later, their bodies were discovered in a vacant apartment building in Highland Park.
On this Daily J, WWJ's Brian Fisher explores what happened to them, and what lengths one mother went to, to find her son.
Michigan State Police confirmed Friday afternoon that Armani Kelly, 38, Montoya Givens, 31, and Dante Wicker, 31, were found deceased Thursday evening.
The three went missing Saturday, Jan. 21, after a scheduled performance at Lounge 31 -- a club in the 7 Mile and Gratiot area of Detroit -- was cancelled.
Two days later, Kelly's mother called authorities and reported her son missing. She also used OnStar to locate Kelly's car, which was recovered from the Queen's Court apartment complex in Warren.
Relatives of Givens and Wicker came forward on Jan. 27, after they saw a news report on Kelly's disappearance and were unable to get ahold of their loved ones.
Lorrie Kemp, Kelly’s mother, spoke to WWJ’s Alexis Ware on Thursday afternoon about the search for her son and his friends.
“I’m doing my own investigation. I’m not gonna sit down. If they would’ve taken heed to what I said when I got there on the 23rd, then maybe we wouldn’t be here. I don’t think anyone took it seriously. You wanna know what my opinion is? They’re disposable men.”
Kelly is a native of Oscoda in Northern Michigan. Givens and Wicker are from Detroit and Melvindale. Investigative efforts were spearheaded by departments from all three cities.
Little is known about the joint investigation at this point.
What is known is that Detroit police raided a home and questioned a person of interest Wednesday night. Thursday evening, MSP located three victims in an empty Highland Park apartment building.
While it was suspected that the three bodies were those of Kelly, Givens and Wicker, authorities asked for patience as they worked to formally identify the victims and contact their families.
Following the official confirmation, police also shared that they had arrested a suspect in connection with the men's suspicious deaths in Knoxville, Tennessee. This suspect was connected to a local teenager, who was taken into custody Thursday for stealing the vehicle the men were driving.
Law enforcement has not released an official cause-of-death for any of the men. A possible motive has yet to be identified either.
Anyone with any information about this tragic case is asked to contact the Detroit Police Department's 6th Precinct at 313-596-2260 or call 911.
Tipsters who wish to remain 100% anonymous may report their information to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
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