Bodies Believed to Belong to Rappers Missing Since Canceled Show Found

By Allison Schonter

Three bodies found Thursday in a Detroit-area apartment building are believed to be those of three aspiring rappers who have been missing for nearly two weeks. Armani Kelly, 28; Dante Wicker, 31; and Montoya Givens, 31, were reported missing in late January after they were supposed to perform at a club in Detroit on Jan. 21. On Thursday, Michigan police confirmed that multiple bodies were discovered in an abandoned Highland Park apartment complex, though the identities of the victims have not yet been confirmed.

Michigan State Police, who is leading the investigation into the bodies, confirmed Thursday evening that members of the Homicide Task Force, Metro South Post and the MSP Forensic lab responded to an abandoned apartment complex in Highland Park, roughly 6 miles northwest of Detroit, "on a death investigation." Authorities confirmed that "multiple victims" were discovered inside the building located at the corner of McNichols and Log Cabin, explaining that "detectives are continuing to investigate this incident and more than likely will be there throughout the night." In a later update MSP said forensic scientist were "making their way into the building," which they said was in very poor condition and rat infested," slowing their progress, "and are beginning to gather evidence."

"As of now, we haven't confirmed the identity of any victims inside or a manner of death," MSP stated. "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. Once information is confirmed we will update here."

Givens' mother Cat Fogle later confirmed to The Detroit News that police notified her of the discovery at around 4:30 p.m., telling the outlet, "They told me they found the three bodies. ... I don't know what I'm going to do; how I'm going to bury him." Lorrie Kemp, Kelly's mother, added that while she was informed of the discovery, "they didn't identify them."

Kelly, Wicker, and Givens went missing after they were scheduled to perform at Lounge 31 on Jan. 21. The performance was canceled due to an equipment issue, according to Kelly's fiancée Taylor Perrin, who said Kelly told her he was planning to meet up with friends and do some open mic shows. However, Kelly stopped responding to communications at around 7:30 p.m., and by the next morning, activity on all three of their cellphones stopped, police said. Kelly's mother reported him missing on Jan. 23. A car connected to at least one of the three was found in the city of Warren. A source for The News reported that the three bodies were found after police raided a home on Wednesday and brought in a person of interest.

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