2021 Year In Review

Lansing homicide victims in 2021

Posted

The following list of homicide victims in Lansing this year includes information from published obituaries and other online resources when available.

Darrell “Dee” Gaines
Darrell “Dee” Gaines
1/6/21 — Darrell “Dee” Gaines, 37, phlebotomist and military veteran. “Dedicated and loving brother, caregiver, guardian, and protector to his younger sister … . His love for family and friends was color blind and knew no boundaries. He loved children and like the Pied Piper would be found surrounded by every little person in the room singing his name, ‘Uncle Dee, Uncle Dee.’”

2/8/21 – Melissa Murray, 33.

Thomas Collins III
Thomas Collins III
2/13/21 – Thomas Collins III, 25. Holt and Eaton Rapids high school athlete and father of two who was a state champion wrestler and also excelled at competitive go-karting.

3/21/21 – Leeann Hawkins, 23.

Darrell “Dee” Smith
Darrell “Dee” Smith
3/31/21 – Darrell “Dee” Smith, 16. A Sexton High School student and member of the marching band, he “loved to skateboard, write music, build things, and was just a jack of all trades. His beautiful bright smile would light up our lives and will forever be imprinted our hearts.”

Adrien Price
Adrien Price
4/11/21 – Adrien Price, 20. “A funny, fun loving big kid. He was always joking around and playing pranks on family and friends. He was passionate about music and enjoyed writing his own music as well.”

4/21/21 – Larry Fields, 60. From a go-fund-me page on his behalf: “Larry was warm-hearted, very energetic, and family first. He was surrounded by the family before his unfortunate passing, and he will be greatly missed. Larry has been participating in the Special Olympics almost his entire life.”

Harley Owens,
Harley Owens,
5/1/21 – Harley Owens, 39. “He was an artist at heart and loved drawing, poetry and music. As he grew he turned all of this into a passion for body art and always looked forward to his next tattoo.”

Kelsey Coon-Lennon
Kelsey Coon-Lennon
5/1/21 – Kelsey Coon-Lennon, 29. “Kelsey was a bright light, a bold, vibrant and an adventurous woman that was always finding the humor in life.” Among her survivors is her son, Desmond.

5/5/21 – Corey Dalton, 28.

5/16/21 – Kian Miller Jr., 22. 

Timothy Minor
Timothy Minor
5/16/21 – Timothy Minor, 23. “’Whodee,’” who had attended Everett High School, “was a fun-loving smart kid with a big heart who loved his family. … A jokester. You definitely needed thick skin. Whodee would roast anybody.”

Damon Johnson
Damon Johnson
5/14/21 – Damon Johnson
, 19. A member of Mind, Body, and Soul Outreach Ministries, “he enjoyed playing basketball, video games; he also loved to swim and shop. Damon loved spending time with his family and friends. He had a passion for music at a young age. Damon loved being in the studio recording.”

6/14/21 – Marshawn Beard, 16. 

Jemaris Leek Jr.
Jemaris Leek Jr.
6/16/21 – Jemaris Leek Jr.,17. An ascending senior at Everett, he was a scholar and athlete with recruitment letters from many schools. He “loved to travel, taking pictures, laughing, making others laugh, and walking up to people introducing himself by saying, ‘Hi, my name is Jemaris; what’s your name?’”

Cashad Pops
Cashad Pops
7/5/21 – Cashad Pops, 19. “He had an insatiable thirst for fun and adventure in life. Cashad took great pride in his two daughters Calaysia and Sa’Riyah and loved nothing more than spending time with them.”

Ardis Davis
Ardis Davis
8/15/21 – Ardis Davis, 24. “Ardis demonstrated many talents but his main one was his love for music. Whenever he rapped it was illuminating and powerful. The cadence of his voice was purely musical and straight–to–the–point. Ardis went from writing his lyrics to performing them in the clouds.”

8/18/21 – Victor Clayborn, 27. 

Alexis Brown
Alexis Brown
9/16/21 — Alexis Brown, 24. A home health aide, she “enjoyed spending time with her children, family, and friends. Like her mother, Alexis was a social butterfly. She made friends wherever she went. Alexis was a kind, loving soul with a heart of gold.”

Michelle Roper
Michelle Roper
9/16/21 — Michelle Roper, 46. A licensed practical nurse, wife and parent to three, she “was loved by the residents and staff because she was kind and considerate. She loved working, spending time with her family and friends. Michelle was … our social butterfly.”

9/20/21 — Anthony “Trae” Davis III, 17. A standout football player at Waverly, where he was a senior, he was “known for his beautiful smile and compassion for others. He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, especially his siblings. Trae always strived to do his best.”

Noah Sisung
Noah Sisung
10/22/21 — Noah Sisung, 18. He worked with his father at Sisung Construction. “Noah came into this world and lived exactly as he would have it, on his own terms. He loved life and was taken from us too soon.”  

Elton Johnson,
Elton Johnson,
10/25/21 — Elton Johnson, 34. A 2006 sexton grad where he played football and basketball, “Jr touched the community; he always had a smile for you and would go out of his way to make others smile. He was a loving son, brother, father, cousin, nephew, uncle, and friend. 

Arianna Dela Cruz,
Arianna Dela Cruz,
12/10/21 — Arianna Dela Cruz, 17. A junior at Eastern, she “was creative and artistic. Arianna loved artwork and doing hair. Most of all she loved spending time with all of her family.”

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