Michigan State Police (MSP) found three dead bodies Thursday and are working to determine if they are the bodies of three missing rappers.
A city official said the bodies, which police discovered in an abandoned apartment complex in Highland Park, are believed to be those of 28-year-old Armani Kelly, 31-year-old Dante Wicker and 31 year-old Montoya Givens, who went missing after their Jan. 21 performance at a Detroit club was canceled, according to CNN.
Authorities reported that activity on the cell phones belonging to all three men stopped early on Jan. 22. Police have cautioned that the identities of the bodies are not yet confirmed. “Once information is confirmed we will update,” MSP said in a tweet Thursday.
Multiple victims were located in the building. They have not been identified at this time. Detectives are currently obtaining search warrants to search the building and recover the victims. We will continue to update here as the investigation progresses. 2/
— MSP Second District (@mspmetrodet) February 2, 2023
“Due to weather conditions and the conditions of the victims, it’s unable to be determined just by sight alone,” Lt. Mike Shaw said in an update posted to Twitter on Friday. “Please remember all victims have families and we don’t have the luxury of guessing on their identity and then retracting if we didn’t get it right,” MSP said in a tweet.
Detectives are continuing to investigate this incident and more than likely will be there throughout out the night. As of now we haven’t confirmed the identity of any victims inside or a manner of death. 3/
— MSP Second District (@mspmetrodet) February 2, 2023
Kelly’s mother was the first to alert police when she came to them on Jan. 22 to request help in locating her son. “That mother became very proactive in the investigation and started searching for her vehicle through OnStar,” said Michael McGinnis, commander of major crimes at the Detroit Police Department.
Kelly’s mother traced his car to Warren, Michigan, a few miles from Highland Park, and police recovered the vehicle on Jan. 23, according to CNN. Families of the two other rappers reported them missing shortly thereafter. (RELATED: Police Make Quick Arrest After Drake’s Home Is Burglarized)
A homicide task force has been set up at the Highland Park complex where the bodies were found. Forensic scientists from the state police lab have also gained access to the building and have begun to collect evidence from the crime scene, according to CNN.
The building is reported to be in very poor condition and is infested with rats, which has reportedly slowed down the investigation.
The story continues to unfold.