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Murder Mystery: Everything We Know About The Missing Michigan Rappers Found Fatally Shot

‘This was no random incident,’ investigators said after finding the bodies in an abandoned building.

Multiple Michigan law enforcement agencies have worked on solving the mystery behind the disappearance and death of three hip hop artists in early February. However, so far, few answers have surfaced..

Authorities have identified the victims as hip-hop artists Armani Kelly, 27, of Oscoda, and Dante Wicker, 31, of Melvindale, along with their friend Montoya Givens, 31, of Detroit.

They went missing on Jan. 21, after a Detroit venue canceled their performance, reportedly because of technical issues with the club’s audio equipment. After the cancellations, they were not heard from again. Investigators found their bodies Feb. 2 buried under debris in an abandoned apartment building in Highland Park, Mich., an enclave city that lies within the borders of Detroit.

On Feb. 7, Michigan State Police revealed that the three men died from multiple gunshot wounds.

“The investigation also has revealed that this was not a random incident. The investigation is continuing and detectives are making progress and we believe we may have determined a motive,” the law enforcement agency tweeted.

Here’s everything that we know about the case so far:

Last known whereabouts

Kelly, known by his stage name “Marley Whoop” was scheduled to perform at the east-side Detroit club Lounge 31 on Jan. 21. He was accompanied by Wicker, a.k.a. “B12,” and Givens, nicknamed “Jug.”

That evening, Kelly sent a text to his fiancée, Taylor Perrin, saying the show was canceled. That was the last time Kelly’s mother, Lorrie Kemp, and Perrin heard from him. Early in the investigation, authorities said they believed the three men left the nightclub together. Their cellphones and social media activities went silent since the early morning hours of Jan. 22

Lounge 31 owner Darnell Williams told The Detroit Free Press that technical failures with the DJ equipment forced the cancellation. He couldn’t confirm that the trio was at the club because it was crowded that night, but police viewed surveillance video footage of the club.

Police Investigating Abrupt Disappearance Of 3 Michigan Rappers After Detroit Show Was Canceled

Kelly’s car found, juvenile arrested

After he went missing, Kelly’s mother used OnStar to track the car he drove to Detroit. The 2017 gray Chevy Equinox was moved three times in Warren, Mich. and ended up in a condo complex. The Washington Post reported that authorities found the vehicle in a parking lot about five miles from Lounge 31, but it was unknown if they had been to Warren.

Days later, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said Warren police found the vehicle and arrested a juvenile for possessing a stolen vehicle and burglary tools, CBS News reported.

The Detroit News reported that the 15-year-old male was driving Kelly’s car without a license plate. He accused an adult male of telling him to pick up the vehicle.

3 Bodies Discovered Are Likely Missing Michigan Rappers, Friend

One victim was convicted of robbing Pastor Marvin Winans

Perrin told The Detroit News all three men knew each other from prison. In separate cases, Kelly and Wicker were convicted of armed robbery, while Givens was convicted of carjacking.

Catrina Fogle, Givens’ mother, told local Detroit station WJBK her son had just gotten out of prison for the 2012 carjacking and robbing of well-known Detroit Pastor Marvin Winans, who delivered the eulogy at Whitney Houston’s funeral.

Winans was beaten, robbed and carjacked at a Citgo gas station in Detroit, according to MLive.com. Givens and two other men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to carjack and unarmed robbery. Givens received a sentence of 6 to 20 years in prison.

The minister testified that after he pumped his gas, one of the men punched him below the left eye before the other two joined in the assault. They took cash, a Rolex watch and Winans’ 2012 Infiniti QX56, which the police recovered.

Marvin Winans - Considered by most inside and outside the gospel industry as a "singer's singer," Marvin Winans will take us back to his roots and inspire the remaining contestants this Sunday at 8P/7C on the season finale of Sunday Best. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Pastor Marvin Winans Carjacked in Detroit

Gang revenge?

As the police continued their investigation, Kelly’s mother said she believed the killing was gang-related, stemming from his time in prison. Her suspicion is based in part on a Facebook Live video her son posted days before his disappearance.

In the video, Kelly slips on a black ski mask, and two other men also appear later in the video wearing masks. Kelly talks about his love for Jugg (Givens) and plans to pick him up and go to Lounge 31.

When one of the men points to the “Call of Duty: Vanguard” video game logo on his T-shirt, Kelly snaps at him.

"I'm playing real life," Kelly says. "You still playing shoot 'em up, bang-bang?"

The other man replies, "Real life, though. We're gonna touch the shoot 'em up bang-bang money, too."

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