A suspect has been taken into custody in connection with a triple homicide in southwest Detroit after police found three men dead in the basement of a home earlier this week, authorities said.
During a news briefing on Friday, Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison confirmed that a 27-year-old man matching the suspect’s description was arrested on Thursday afternoon following a tip from the public.
Bettison said the suspect is currently on parole and has a lengthy criminal history, including carjacking, armed robbery, fleeing from police, and felony firearms offenses.
“I will not be naming the suspect as he is not charged at this time,” Bettison said, noting that detectives were still working to submit the investigation report to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
Officers discovered the three victims on Wednesday afternoon while responding to a missing person report at a home on the 3100 block of Edsel Street near Francis Avenue.
Fitzgerald said the men appeared to have died from blunt force trauma, and that some also had stab wounds. He added that they were likely killed sometime between Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday morning. Officials are awaiting the results of autopsies to confirm the exact cause and manner of death.
Fitzgerald said all three victims had criminal records and that one had been the missing person officers were trying to locate, who hadn't been seen since Feb. 16.
NTD reached out to the Detroit Police Department for additional information, but a response was not received by publication time.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Bettison reassured the public about the ongoing case.
“As we continue our investigation, we believe that this is an isolated incident,” he said. “I felt it was important that we update the community so as to let them be relieved from fear or panic. We believe there is no danger to the public at this time.”