HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Sunday, January 21st marked one year since three men went missing in Detroit after a canceled rap performance.
In January of 2023, Armani Kelly, 27, Dante Wicker, 31, and Montoya Givens, 31, were expected at Lounge 31 in Detroit. Wicker and Kelly, who were aspiring rappers, were set to perform. Police say the show was canceled and the men were never heard from again.
Nearly two weeks later, the men were found in an abandoned Highland Park apartment building shot to death.
Michigan State Police say one year after their investigation started, they're now working to turn the case over to prosecuting attorneys.
"The last memory I forced myself to have, after seeing my son in that casket, is him going down my stairs, telling me he love me and he’ll see me later," said a tearful Catina Fogle of her son Montoya Givens. "It’s very hard for me because my entire family is suffering from this. It’s like everybody is numb right now."
Early in the investigation, police confirmed taking a 15-year-old into custody in connection to a missing vehicle that belonged to one of the victims. However, the 15-year-old was never charged in connection to the three men's deaths.
Michigan State Police say no arrests have been made since but "suspect(s)" have arisen throughout the investigative process.
"I just want the truth now. Whoever you are, you that did it, you that know about it, if y’all got kids, put yourself in my shoes. How would you feel not knowing what happened to your child," said Fogle. "It’s messed up that we gotta go through our life not knowing what happened to our children."
MSP says they believe the shooting was gang-related. They also say there does not appear to be a relationship between Lounge 31 and the homicides. The department is now working to complete investigative work, including interviews and canvassing, before submitting a report to the prosecutor's office for review.
Lori Kemp says her son Armani Kelly, whose stage name was Marley Whoop, had so much life ahead of him.
"He had a job and he had a career coming up at Alpena Community College and he was going to get married and he was all about that music that’s what brought him to Detroit," said Kemp. "He was smart. He was funny. He was young. He was vibrant and he had his whole life ahead of him. He did his 8 years and this is what he came out to."
Kemp says she believes her son met Wicker and Givens while serving time in prison. She says when he returned home he was on the road to changing his life but didn't get the chance.
Kemp says not knowing what led to her son's death has been extremely challenging but she has spent almost every day since working to raise awareness and bring about justice.
"Is it killing me? Yeah. I’m dying inside. I can’t breathe sometimes. I just think it’s a nightmare and it’s never going to end. I just need closure. I need it to go to court. I want them to have life in prison," said Kemp.
Sunday, Kemp says she revisited the site where her son's body was found. Today, red spray paint paying condolences and flowers cover the snow on the abandoned apartment building's front lawn.
"I feel like we have been victimized. We’ve fell through the cracks. I feel as if these three men, they felt they’re disposable and nobody is disposable. I don’t care what they’ve done in the past. Yes, they were all in prison. Yes they’ve served their time," said Kemp." I just don’t want no one to forget all three of them. Regardless of what they did in the past, they didn’t deserve this."
7 Action News was unable to contact family members of Wicker immediately.
