DETROIT (WWJ) -- A grieving mother is pleading for answers, closure and help from the community following the murder of her son, whose body was discovered in Southwest Detroit.
According to Crime Stoppers of Michigan, the morning of Thursday, January 25, 2024, 38-year-old Martess C. Calvin was found dead, wrapped in a garbage bag behind the apartments at 16555 Schaefer Hwy.
Authorities said Calvin was last seen alive on Jan. 22, before he was fatally assaulted by an unknown killer.
"He was beaten and slain to death, and I am his mother," said the victim's mom, Diane Kimble, at a Crime Stoppers news conference on Wednesday. "He was a good, decent citizen. He was focusing on getting his life together."
Kimble said her son was an entrepreneur who helped so many people around the neighborhood, cutting grass, fixing houses, and feeding people.
Martess C. CalvinCrime Stoppers of Michigan
After news got out of Calvin's death, Kimble said two 12-year-old young men came to her door to give their condolences. She said the boys told her her son had bought them food, and paid for their boxing training, and that they'll miss him.
"We miss my son and we love him," Kimble said. "And we're crying out to the whole community for everybody who has lost a child — mother and father. This is not easy...and I pray for those who did this to my son, that they will come forth and turn themselves in. My God bless you, and my God keep you, because I do forgive you, because I gotta go on in life."
"My heart is broken with this," she said. "And I'm just crying out to the community, because everyone falls short in life, and we all need help."
Social media posts show Calvin was also a father of at least one child; a daughter who lost her dad.
There is a cash reward of up to $2,500 for the tip that leads to an arrest in this case. Anyone who may have information is asked to call the Crime Stoppers line at 1-800-SPEAK-UP (1-800-773-2587), or submit a tip online at 1800speakup.org.
As always, all those who contact Crime Stoppers will stay 100% anonymous. They are not asked to provide their names, and are not required to speak to police or to testify in court.
All rewards are also paid anonymously.
