What happened to Keyona Griffin? Everything you need to know
Keyona Griffin is an American-born victim of a home massacre. She became famous for her call to 911 regarding the gruesome murder of her aunt and her prospective murder on 13 March 2019. Unfortunately, despite the act of bravery, she died before the police arrived at the scene.
Source: UGC
The crime incident which took Keyona Griffin's life and that of her 45-year-old aunt Cherletta Baber-Bay happened in an apartment at 533 Sheldon Avenue SE. The controversial event has caused a lot of stir among many people. This is predicated on the circumstances surrounding the actions of the police to the deceased's call and the ability to apprehend the prime suspect Derrell Demon Brown for years.
Profile summary
| Full name | Keyona Griffin |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 8 March 1994 |
| Date of death | 13 March 2019 |
| Age | 25 years old (at the time of death) |
| Place of birth | United States of America |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Black |
| Mother | Ongah Griffin |
| Sibling | 1 |
| Marital status | Single |
Who is Keyona?
She was a 25-year-old girl born on 8 March 1994 to Ongah Griffin in the United States of America. She has an American nationality of Afro-American descent. The once free-spirited girl was raised alongside a brother named Stanford Cummings ll.
Keyona Griffin's story
The horrific family murder occurred on 13 March 2019 at 553 Sheldon Avenue SE in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States of America. Keyona Griffin called the authorities to report an ongoing crime scene where her aunt was a victim of death.
Three Grand Rapid Police officers arrived at the apartment seven minutes and four seconds after Keyona Griffin's call with the dispatcher. They had a bodycam on to show they couldn't get into the house or have any contact with anyone on arrival.
They left three minutes and forty-two seconds after several failed attempts to access the apartment. At about two hours and eighteen minutes later, another call was made from the same house by Keyona's brother Sanford Cummings ll on the report of the murder scene.
Days after the family tragedy, Keyona Griffin's transcript detailing her conversation on the phone was released, but the audio was denied access. So Target 8 investigators tried once more in October 2021. Eventually, they had access to the 911 audio and the police report through the Freedom of Information Act to create awareness of the four-year-long world manhunt for the murderer.
Source: UGC
How did Keyona Griffin die?
Keyona Griffin's autopsy revealed that she died from gunshots, four gunshots and one on her face. She was found in a room upstairs soaked in blood. She died alongside her aunt, who was found lying on her mattress under a blanket in her room with ears plugged in.
The earphones connected to an iPad found on her were still playing, preventing her from hearing what was happening in her apartment and the shooter's approach. And unfortunately, she died from a bullet shot at the back of her head.
Who killed Keyona Griffin?
She was killed by her aunt's 45-year-old then-boyfriend Derrell Demon Brown, also known as Jay. Keyona's aunt Cherletta Baber-Bay shared the apartment with her boyfriend alongside her 65-year-old mother Jacqueline Baber-Bey who was at work when the brutal killing happened.
According to the family, Cherletta Baber-Bay lived a quiet and peaceful life devoid of social media and Jay was her first true love. Inside Cherletta Baber-Bey's bedroom, authorities discovered an empty Hi-Point gun box and a box of ammunition that had been hurriedly thrown away. The Hi-Point pistol discovered at the site was connected to Derrell Demon Brown through evidence.
Source: Twitter
Before the incident, Jay had been imprisoned for failure to pay child support. He was known for other crimes, especially being brutal to his ex-partner in 2005. Nonetheless, the detectives also discovered a series of letters in Cherletta's closet while looking into the murder. It was a compilation of prison letters that she and Derrell Brown had exchanged when he was detained.
Darrell is yet to be apprehended and is believed to be helped by family members and associates to hide from the law. He uses different nicknames including Darryl Robinson, Carter Brown, Derrick Brown, Michael Richardson, Marcus Wright, and Jay. But, in a post shared on Twitter by the Grand Rapids Police Department on 15 July 2020, it says:
We need the community’s help locating DERRELL DEMON BROWN, who is wanted in the homlcides of Keyona Griffin & Cherletta Baber-Bey. Brown is 46 yoa, 5’8″ & 180#. He could be in the Columbus, OH, Milwaukee, WI & Atlanta, GA areas. Call police @ 616.456.3400 with any information.
In July 2021, he was listed as one of the country's 15 most wanted criminals by the US Marshals in a bid to intensify their search. Also, a reward of $25,000 was set to be given to anyone that could help with details to track and arrest him.
Keyona Griffin was a young girl filled with dreams to achieve but became an unfortunate victim of a family killing. Although her killer, as of 2022, is yet to be caught, many still hope and pray he would be brought to book, and she would be served justice.
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Source: YEN.com.gh