GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A 2024 homicide out of Grand Rapids is gaining renewed interest after the case was featured in the premier episode of a documentary series on the city's police force.
15-year-old Amiliier Penn was gunned down June 2, 2024 on Umatilla Street near Madison Avenue while playing a game of football with friends, according to investigators.
The investigation into the shooting was the focus of the first episode of "All Access PD: Grand Rapids" on Investigation Discovery. The show, which promises an unprecedented level of access inside the police department, debuted on Monday, April 7.
Now FOX 17 is seeing a spike in searches about the Penn homicide. Several past reports on the case have seen a huge number of visitors since the episode aired Monday night.
So far, no one has been charged in the shooting, but in the "All Access" episode, investigators reveal they had been focused on Cartiyae Pascal as a potential suspect for months. However detectives were frustrated by a lack of evidence and witness testimony that could tie Pascal to Penn's murder.
Then on September 1, 2024, another shooting gave police reason to arrest Pascal. The shooting outside a southeast convenience store was captured by security cameras, showing Pascal allegedly firing multiple times at a person who walked out of the store.
Officers took Pascal into custody. He's now charged with assault with intent to murder, and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
Pascal has not been charged in connection to Penn's murder.
The legal case against Pascal in the September shooting has been on hold amid plea negotiations. His next schedule hearing is set for April 15.
Meanwhile, a $10,000 reward for tips that lead to arrest in the Amillier Penn case remains active through Silent Observer. Anyone with information on that shooting is asked to contact Grand Rapids Police at (616) 456-3400 or Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345.
More about "All Access PD: Grand Rapids"
"All Access PD: Grand Rapids" promises to take viewers inside the city's police department with no restrictions. The series will have 8 episodes debuting each Monday on Investigation Discovery and available on-demand through MAX the following day.
Here's the list of the episodes, when they will debut, and how Investigation Discovery describes them:
"Fight Club" (April 8): Grand Rapids detectives investigate the masked shooter behind the murder of a 15-year-old. But while the investigation is underway, another shooting strikes and detectives must work quickly before more violence ensues.
"The Twins" (April 15): After a gunfight outside a bar ends with two dead, Grand Rapids detectives discover twin brothers are involved. The twins claim self-defense, but detectives believe one victim was unarmed and running away. Can they prove it was murder?
"Party Bus" (April 22): Detective Katie Roszkowski leads her first homicide case and uncovers a party bus gone wrong. With few witnesses, she must discover what happened when partiers exited the bus and why things escalated to murder.
"Cemetery" (April 29): What seemed like an accidental overdose becomes a murder investigation when a jail informant tips off Grand Rapids detectives. Was Dana Lewis murdered? Conflicting witness accounts leave the detectives searching for hard evidence to solve Dana's death.
"No Excuse" (May 6): After a shooting, Grand Rapids detectives investigate a victim with a history of domestic complaints. As the victim fights for his life, the female shooter claims self-defense. Detectives must found out whether she truly feared for her life when she fired the gun.
"The Girl on the Scooter" (May 13): A stray bullet kills a 15-year-old, outraging Chief Eric Winstrom. CCTV shows a masked gunman, but witnesses refuse to talk until a tip names a suspect. When officers arrest him at a traffic stop, detectives don’t have enough evidence.
"Patrol" (May 20): As cameras follow the work of Grand Rapids patrol officers, Deputy Chief Joe Trigg must navigate the chaos of a high-stakes series of shootings, high-speed chases, and standoffs.
"Tethered" (May 27): On Sept. 6, 2024, an aspiring rapper is found shot in his car, with cash and drugs pointing to a motive. Witnesses flee in a grey Charger, which later appears at another shooting. Detectives suspect a link, but can they prove it?
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