Articles Posted in Homicide

Recently, a 14-year-old Detroit teen was accused of attempting to murder his mother.  Tommie Lee Grady has been “adult designated” according to a news article at Mlive.com, which means he may be sentenced as an adult although he will be tried in the juvenile court.

On June 11, Grady’s mother was shot numerous times at the family’s home on Wisconsin in Detroit; it is believed the two were in an argument when he shot at his mother.  Police believe Tommie did the shooting, which occurred at around 8 in the evening.  Reports claim Tommie also turned the gun on his brother, but fled the scene instead of firing at his brother.  His mother was treated at an area hospital and released.  On Friday, the teen was apprehended by police in the area of Meyers and Keeler in Detroit.

Tommie Lee Grady is charged with assault with intent to murder, felonious assault, and being a minor in possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.  The assault with intent to murder charge carries a maximum life prison term for adults, however Grady’s punishment (which may be a mixture of sentencing allowed for an adult or juvenile) will be determined by the judge.  He could be sentenced to life in prison, or a sentence that is less harsh.

On Sunday, March 8, Troy police announced they had taken a man into custody in connection with the fatal shooting death of an Auburn Hills woman. On the previous Saturday evening, 21-year-old Jamila Monet Vigier-Cage was found slumped over the steering wheel of her vehicle. Now, 24-year-old Cory Daniel Mullen has been charged with first-degree murder in the case.

According to news articles at Mlive.com and Clickondetroit.com, the victim was found dead in a parking lot in Troy where she worked; she was found by a co-worker, and had allegedly been shot twice, once in the head and once in the chest. Vigier-Cage was employed at One Source, a talent agency that books actors and models.

Police asked for the public’s help in finding Vigier-Cage’s killer, and release a description of his vehicle, a 2002 Chevrolet Impala. He was located within hours in Detroit, and taken into custody for further questioning. Mullen was charged with first-degree murder and felony firearm; he was arraigned on Tuesday in 52-4 District Court, where he pleaded not guilty.

On Monday, July 28, 23-year-old Rajeh Elmawri of Dearborn was charged with torture and first-degree murder in the death of his sister, 30-year-old Asyh Elmawri. 

According to news reports at Mlive.com, the brother and sister became involved in an argument that turned deadly. Rajeh Elmawri allegedly strangled his sister on Saturday afternoon at a family home located in the 7500 block of Bingham, and stabbed her numerous times. Dearborn police Chief Ronald Haddad described the incident as a “domestic violence incident that escalated.”

Elmawri family members called 911 to report the argument. When police arrived on the scene, they found Asyh Elmawri’s lifeless body inside the home.

The defendant was arraigned on the charges on Monday before District Judge Sam Salamey who ordered Elmawri jailed on a $1 million bond. His probable cause hearing is scheduled for August 8. A defense attorney will be appointed by the court, according to the Washington Times.

First-degree murder is a very serious charge, and leaves the defendant facing life-changing consequences. The maximum punishment for someone found guilty of this crime is life in prison. Given that the defendant in this case was involved in a domestic dispute with his sister, could he have been acting in self defense? The case remains under investigation, so perhaps a motive or other facts surrounding the case may come to light in the coming days and weeks.

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On the evening of Tuesday, July 1, a two-year-old toddler was killed and two other people injured in a Detroit suburb shooting, according to Michigan State Police who were canvassing the neighborhood at the time in search of information regarding a motive or suspect. Now, police have taken a suspect into custody who they believe was involved in the Inkster shooting, according to news reports at Mlive.com.

Other than the two-year-old victim, a 34-year-old man and 12-year-old girl were shot as the three sat on the porch at the home. Michigan State Police told the Associated Press that a single shooter was involved, although eyewitnesses have provided different accounts of whether the suspect left the scene of the crime on foot, got into a waiting car, or fled in a van after firing the gun at the victims. The 12-year-old girl was said to be in critical condition, and the man in stable condition.

On Wednesday July 2, police discovered that the shooting was in retaliation for an incident that occurred in April at an after hours club near the high school. They have taken in a suspect after speaking with the man, who was the two-year-old victim’s father. While the suspect was not named in news reports, he was located at his girlfriend’s home in Brownstown Township and taken into custody. Police are also now seeking a second suspect in the incident.

Michigan criminal defense attorneys would agree that the suspect, who thus far has not been identified, will face serious charges in this case, probably murder or homicide charges. Depending on whether the suspect pleads guilty or goes to trial, he could face up to life in prison if convicted by a jury. In cases where a person is charged with open murder, the jury will decide whether the offender will be charged with first- or second-degree murder.

All homicide charges are extremely serious, and will leave the offender facing a substantial number of years to life in prison if convicted. First-degree murder, the most serious of all charges, will result in life in prison. Second-degree murder (murder that is not premeditated or committed in conjunction with other crimes such as larceny, kidnapping, home invasion, robbery, and other offenses) will result in a prison term of any number of years to life.

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