GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Kent County prosecutors have charged a man with two counts of open murder in the deaths of two women last year in Grand Rapids.
Derrell Brown has been a person of interest in the deaths of Keyona Griffin and Cherletta Baber-Bey since their bodies were found last March, but on Thursday prosecutors issued arrest warrants for open murder.
Investigators have been looking for Brown across the country, and the search was recently highlighted on “In Pursuit” with John Walsh. Police said Brown lived at the Sheldon Avenue home in Grand Rapids where the murders happened and that he was dating Baber-Bey.
Transcripts of 911 calls made the day of the murders show that a caller who identified herself as Keyona told dispatchers someone was trying to kill her at a home at 553 Sheldon Ave.
“Can you just hurry up, please, I’m gonna die,” the transcript says. “… he’s trying to kill me. He already killed my (unintelligible). Can you hurry up, please?”
The dispatcher told the caller that police were being sent her way, according to the transcript.
Around 1 p.m., another 911 call was made by a man who said he was the brother of one of the victims. He told dispatchers there was blood everywhere inside and his sister wasn’t moving.
Police arrived shortly after and found the bodies of Griffin and Baber-Bey.
Anyone who has information on Brown or his location is asked to call police at 616-456-3400 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345. A reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
