GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A man who is wanted for a 2019 Grand Rapids double homicide has been added to the 15 Most Wanted fugitives list, the U.S. Marshals announced Monday. The agency is offering $25,000 for information directly leading to his arrest.
Police say Derrell Demon Brown, 47, is wanted in Grand Rapids and Kent County. He faces multiple charges, including receiving and concealing a stolen firearm and two counts of homicide. The charges stem from a double homicide that took place in 2019, police say.
On March 13, 2019, Brown’s girlfriend, Cherletta Baber-Bey, and her 25-year-old niece, Keyona Griffin, were found murdered in a home shared by Brown and Baber-Bey. Authorities located a stolen firearm and identified it as the alleged murder weapon.
As the investigation progressed, police said evidence identified Brown as the prime suspect in the case. Arrest warrants were issued for Brown, and authorities later requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals in the Western District of Michigan.
Authorities believe Brown fled the state after the crime. They say he could be receiving assistance from family members and associates to elude arrest.
“Derrell Brown has lived in Grand Rapids his entire life, but he has relatives in Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia and Ohio,” said Bruce Nordin, acting U.S. marshal of the Western District of Michigan.
“With ties spanning this far and wide across the country, we are broadening our search and asking the public to remain vigilant. He looks very unassuming and could literally be standing behind you in a grocery checkout line.”
The U.S. Marshals is offering $25,000 for information that leads to Brown’s arrest.
“Derrell Brown’s alleged crimes make him a significant threat to the public, so it is crucial that we locate him,” said Donald Washington, director of the U.S. Marshals Service.
“Our deputies, along with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, are determined to bring Brown to justice. With a reward of up to $25,000 being offered, we’re asking anyone with information about Brown’s whereabouts to come forward.”
Brown is described as a 5-foot-8-inch tall man with black hair and brown eyes. He weighs about 180 pounds and has used the aliases “JJ Robinson,” “Michael Richardson” and “Marcus Wright.”
Anyone with information on Brown or his whereabouts is asked to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office or the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-877-WANTED-2.
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