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Shelly Andre BROOKS

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
Classification: Serial killer
Characteristics: Rape
Number of victims: 7
Date of murders: 2001 - 2006
Date of arrest: July 30, 2006
Date of birth: January 22, 1969
Victims profile: Sandra Davis, 53 / Pamela Greer, 33 / Marion Woods-Daniels, 36 / Rhonda Myles, 45 / Thelma Johnson, 30 / Melissa Toston, 38 / An unidentified woman
Method of murder: Beating with rocks or sticks
LocationDetroit, Michigan, USA
Status: Sentenced to life in prison without parole on March 27, 2007
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Serial killer of prostitutes gets another 25+ years

September 6, 2007

A convicted serial killer already serving life in prison was sentenced today to another 25 to 50 years behind bars for raping and beating a prostitute who survived his usually deadly attacks.

The formality in Wayne Circuit Court closes the case on Shelly Andre Brooks, a homeless man whom authorities believe killed at least seven prostitutes between August 2001 and June 2006. Investigators have said he may have killed another seven women, though no charges were filed in those deaths.

His latest legal case was the one that led police to catch him at all.

In June 2006, Brooks followed his familiar routine of raping prostitutes, beating them with rocks or sticks and leaving them for dead. His last victim slipped into a coma, but survived the attack.

She described her attacker as unusually tall and knew him as "E." The name was just one of several Brooks used, but the description led police to arrest him when he entered an abandoned building in July 2006.

Police said Brooks eventually confessed to the slayings, even offering one they didn't know about.

 
 

Suspected Serial Killer Sentenced To Life Without Parole

March 29, 2007

Shelly Brooks, who police said is a suspected serial killer, was sentenced to life in prison without parole by Judge Vonda Evans on Thursday, Local 4 reported. Brooks testified that he had sex with several prostitutes but did not kill them, and said in court that Detroit police officers threatened him into signing a confession that said he bludgeoned several prostitutes to death.

Brooks was charged with first-degree murder in the slayings of prostitutes from 1999 to 2005.

 
 

Suspected serial killer convicted a second time of murder

March 16, 2007

Wayne County jurors took only 30 minutes to convict suspected serial killer Shelly Brooks of first-degree murder today, his second conviction in eight days.

Brooks, 38, of Detroit was convicted in the bludgeoning death of Rhonda Myles, who was found bludgeoned to death in an abandoned building on Detroit's east side in April 2002. A sentencing date has not been set.

Last week, he was convicted in the beating death of Pamela Greer. He will be sentenced March 22 in the Greer case.

“Two life sentences already, no parole, he's not getting out,” said Detroit Police Office Mike Carlisle, a homicide investigator who worked the serial killings. “Once again, we got a conviction against a serial killer.”

Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Robert Moran said DNA evidence and a confession from Brooks gave prosecutors a strong case.

“That's one of the quickest verdicts I've ever had,” said Moran, who has been prosecuting for 13 years.

Brooks is charged with first-degree murder in the killings of five other prostitutes and the rape of a surviving woman.

“We'll probably come back and make a decision on which other cases to try after he's been sentenced,” Moran said.

The woman testified that on June 26, she and Brooks had sex and smoked crack cocaine inside an abandoned garage, then went to an abandoned house to smoke more crack. She said Brooks then sexually assaulted her and struck her with a brick.

 
 

Suspected Serial Killer Convicted of Murdering Prostitute

March 16, 2007

A man described by police as one of the most prolific serial killers in the city's history was convicted Thursday of murdering a prostitute.

It was the second murder conviction in eight days for Shelly Brooks, 38, of Detroit. He also faces first-degree murder charges in the slayings of five other prostitutes dating back to 2001.

A jury deliberated only 30 minutes Thursday before finding Brooks guilty in the bludgeoning death of Rhonda Myles, whose body was found in April 2002. A sentencing date was not immediately set.

DNA evidence and a confession from Brooks gave prosecutors a strong case in Myles' death, Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Robert Moran said.

"We'll probably come back and make a decision on which other cases to try after he's been sentenced," Moran told the Detroit Free Press.

Brooks was convicted March 7 in the 2002 slaying of Pamela Greer, 33. He faces mandatory life in prison with no chance of parole when he is sentenced March 22 in that case.

All the victims died of blunt-force trauma from objects such as cement blocks and a table leg, and their bodies were found in abandoned buildings or vacant fields. A surviving victim testified that in June 2006 she smoked crack with Brooks, who then sexually assaulted her and struck her with a brick. He faces rape and assault charges in her case.

Police suspect Brooks may be responsible for the killings of seven other prostitutes in a murder spree that began in 1999.

 
 

Serial Killer Suspect, Shelly Andre Brooks Convicted in Detroit

By Jeanne Marie Kerns - AssociatedContent.com

March 08, 2007

In August of 2001, the body of Sandra Davis, 53, was found at 9700 St Paul in Detroit, Michigan. She had been struck in the head repeatedly and then dragged into a closet where she was left to die.

January 22, 2002 the body of Pamela Greer, 33, was found in the same building as Davis as well as the same condition.

April 14, 2002 Marion Woods -Daniels, 36, was found at 4904 Crane St, her head bashed in by blows from a brick.

April 22, 2002 the body of Rhonda Myles, 45, was found in a vacant building located at 1382 Manistique, she had been beaten to death with the leg of a wooden chair.

November 05, 2002 the body of Thelma Johnson, 30, was found at Mack and Holcomb, she like the others had been beaten to death.

October 18, 2005 the body of Melissa Toston, 38, inside of a vacant garage located between Chalmers St. and Flanders St.,she was beaten to death with a cement object.

June 5, 2006 the body of an unidentified woman is found at 2646 Harding, cause of death is strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head.

Seven deaths between the time frame of August 2001 and June 2006. All of the victims had been black, prostitutes with a history of drug abuse. They were all killed by blunt trauma to the head. Each woman was found in either abadoned buildings or a vacant lot with their clothes draped over their nude bodies, their legs left in a wide open position.

July 26, 2006, a 45-year old prostitute is attacked and left to die near Hickory and Linnhurst. Miraculously surviving the attack, she gives police a description of her attacker and she identifies Shelly Andre Brooks as the man who had beaten and raped her. On July 26, 2006, Brooks is held on $ 75,000 bond. DNA evidence from the other victims link Brooks to four more murders.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007, Shelly Andre Brooks was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2002 murder of 33-year old Pamela Greer. In Michigan the charge carries an automatic sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Brooks is scheduled to be sentenced March 22, 2007. Brooks then will be standing trial next week for the death of Rhonda Myles from April 2002, he also faces murder charges of the other five woman killed.

Investigator Mike Carlisle of the Homicide Section stated "It a relief that we got the first conviction out of the way," "This certainly clears the way for the rest of the trials coming up. It's a relief to the family of Pamela Greer, certainly, and we are going to continue to get that satisfaction for the rest of the families. It is a relief to have this predator of the streets."

 
 

Convicted: Shelly Andre Brooks

March 7th, 2007

Shelly Andre Brooks was convicted Wednesday of first-degree murder in the 2002 strangulation death of Pamela Greer.

The jusy took 10 hours to reach their verdict, which means that Brooks now faces a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

Greer, 33, was a prostitute whose body was found strangled and raped in an abandoned building.

He also stands accused in the deaths of  six other women.  The trial for these cases starts next week.

 
 

Brooks Victims Reveal Signature

29th September 2006

As is so many times the case, the victims of a killer tell a story.  The same has held true for the 7 victims of a serial killer in Detroit, MI.

All victims were black prostitutes who had a history of drug abuse.

Each victim was killed by multiple blunt-force head trauma with weapons ranging from a brick, cement block, table leg, and a garage door handle.

All of the women were found in abandoned buildings or vacant lots, either naked or with clothes draped over their nude bodies.  Their legs were left in the spread-eagle position.

Shelly Andre Brooks, a 37-year-old man who spent the last 10 years living on the streets or in his cousin’s basement has been charged with seven counts of premeditated murder and six counts of felony murder.

The unchanging method by which each victim was killed, lends itself to the fact that a serial killer was most likely responsible for these deaths.

The police have forensic evidence that links Brooks to 4 of the cases, and the circumstancial evidence, including the manner of their death and where they were left, helped them be able to charge him in all the murders.

This is indeed the mark of the serial killer.  The repetitive nature of the murders, with almost no changes, would clearly seem to indicate the same man was responsible.

 
 

Brooks Charged with 7 Murders

19th September 2006

Shelly Andre Brooks is charged with murdering seven prostitutes on Detroit’s east side. Officers have said Brooks confessed to the killings.

A man at Brooks’ former home on Garland Street who identified himself only as Brooks’ brother-in-law disputed the allegations, saying Brooks “wasn’t like that.” He said Brooks’ mother was hospitalized, in part because of the stress on the family over the accusations. She could not be reached for comment.

Background

At the age of 14, Brooks’ mother left him with his maternal grandmother, while she moved in with a boyfriend. By 11th grade, he had dropped out of high school. Around this same time he had his first brush with the law, when he was found carrying a concealed gun. He served 60 days and after his release, began living on the streets. It appears he had been homeless for the better part of a decade, until his arrest earlier this year.

Brooks found a series of jobs at restaurants and a laundromat but would eventually lose each one due to run-ins with co-workers.

Timeline

Aug. 31, 2001: Sandra Davis, 53, found at 9700 St. Paul.

According to Brooks’ confession, she agreed to trade sex for money with Brooks in an abandoned apartment building on St. Paul. He became angry at her and wanted his money back. When she tried to leave, he struck her in the head repeatedly until she collapsed, then dragged her into a closet. Davis’ decomposed remains were not found until Aug. 31, 2001.

Jan. 22, 2002: Pamela Greer, 33, found in the same building.

A man cleaning asbestos from the same building discovered Pamela Greer, 33, whose body wasn’t found until a stray dog had eaten her right leg.

April 14, 2002: Marion Woods-Daniels, 36, found at 4804 Crane.

Marion Woods-Daniels, 36, was killed with a brick to her head in an alley on Crane Street. She tried to run off with money for a sex act, Brooks allegedly told the police.

April 22, 2002: Rhonda Myles, 45, found at 1382 Manistique.

Rhonda Myles, 45, was found in a vacant building on Manistique apparently beaten to death with the leg of a wooden chair. Brooks’ DNA was found on the weapon.

May 2002: Police ticketed Brooks in May 2002 for entering a building without permission but did not consider a suspect in the slayings.

Nov. 5, 2002: Thelma Johnson, 30, found at Mack and Holcomb.

A person walking near Mack and Holcomb found the body of 30-year-old Thelma Johnson. Brooks allegedly told police he hit her in the head “a couple of times.”

Oct. 18, 2005: Melissa Toston, 38, found at Chalmers and Flanders.

Melissa Toston, 38, was found in a vacant garage on Flanders, about four days after she died. Brooks later said he hit her with a cement object, cut his hand and searched her purse for money.

June 5: Unidentified victim at 2646 Harding.

The body of a still unidentified woman was found on Harding about a thousand feet from the house where Brooks’ grandmother raised him. Brooks allegedly said he wanted his money back from the woman and choked her to death. A neighbor reported hearing screams in the night about three weeks earlier.

June 26: A woman survives a rape and beating near Hickory and Linnhurst.

Brooks allegedly raped and beat another prostitute in the head and left her to die. She survived and, after she recovered from her coma, described her attacker as tall and known as “E,” Carlisle said.

Confronted with DNA evidence that police said tied him to the slayings, Brooks admitted the crimes, Carlisle said.

“He never cried,” Carlisle said. “He never showed remorse.”

One person, reported to be a psychiatrist who has studied serial killers made the point that generally they are able to function on a level more normal than Brooks. It is strange that he would have been homeless for what appears to be such a long period of time, but I am sure it is not unheard of.

The crimes themselves seem to indicate a more disorganized type than many of the more famous serial killers. He seemed to bring his victims to a secluded area, kill them, and then leave them there, not making a great effort at hiding the bodies. Most were found by passersby, or folks who located them without having to search a great deal.

One of the hallmarks of the disorganized killer is that he does not create separate scenes for the intial contact, attack, and body disposal. In Brooks’ case, it would appear this held true, since he undoubtedly led them to the vacant buildings, killed them and left them there. He also did not appear to take any of the stereotypical ‘trophies’ that are associated with more organized serial killers, who take jewelry, body parts, and other momentos with them, so they can relive the thrill of the kill again and again.

Brooks seemed to merely become enraged, attacked, and then left them there. As we see from the information released from his confession, he would get angry at these women for various reasons, because they refused his advances or he felt they were trying to cheat him, and he was attack.

This would also help explain why others do not believe him capable of doing such horrific acts. If there is no triggering event, Shelly Brooks is probably a mild-mannered and quiet man. But when provoked, he quickly becomes belligerent. This also would not have been something he would have done with what he viewed as a stronger person, either another male or a confident female.

I am not sure if the conclusion that he was attacking these women because they reminded him of the mother who abandoned him if a valid reason for explaining his murders. To me, it seems more likely that these were women he viewed as weak enough and lowly enough that he could approach, without fear of rejection. They were prostitutes, and also described as the type “who begged for cigarettes.” This means they probalby would not turn down any oppurtunity for a few dollars.

Police also said that Brooks was proud of the fact that he had survived on the streets for as long as he did. It probably was a point of pride, however missplaced, that he was able to handle being homeless for almost a decade, something many of us could never handle for more than a few days or weeks at the most.

This is a man whose self-esteem and abilities to interact with the world around him were severely limited. He could not work with anyone and probably felt that everyone looked down on him for being homeless, no matter how successful he believed himself. And when one of these women, whom he considered even lower than himself would try to either condemn him or take advantage of him, he would lash out with vicious anger.

 
 

Detroiter charged in slaying of seven prostitutes

August 29, 2006

Detroit - A man was charged Tuesday in the slayings of seven prostitutes in Detroit between 2001 and June of this year.

Shelly Andre Brooks faces seven counts of premeditated murder and seven counts of felony murder. The 37-year-old Detroit resident faces a sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted of any of the counts.

Brooks remains a suspect in the deaths of seven other prostitutes. Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said the other seven killings were “very similar,” but she declined to comment further.

Police said all seven of the women Brooks is accused of killing were drug users and ranged in age from 30 to 53. All were raped and killed by blunt-force trauma.

Their bodies were found on the city's east side, some in buildings and others in vacant lots.

Brooks has been in custody since July 30 and was being held in connection with a sexual assault of a prostitute. He was to be arraigned later Tuesday on the murder charges.

 
 

Man charged in deaths of 7 Detroit prostitutes

Suspect being investigated in 7 other ‘very similar’ deaths, police say

Aug 29, 2006

DETROIT - A man suspected of killing seven prostitutes over the past five years was charged with murder Tuesday, and police said he is a suspect in as many as 14 deaths in the city since 1999.

Shelly Andre Brooks is charged with seven counts of premeditated murder and seven counts of felony murder. The 37-year-old Detroit resident could face life in prison if convicted.

The seven victims ranged in age from 30 to 53 and were drug users, police said. All were raped, beaten to death, and their bodies were left on the city’s east side, some in buildings, others in vacant lots.

Brooks, in custody since July 30 in connection with the sexual assault of a prostitute, was to be arraigned Tuesday on the murder charges.

Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said he also remains a suspect in the deaths of seven other prostitutes, killings that she described as “very similar.”

Bully-Cummings said the string of slayings began in 1999. She said DNA evidence connects Brooks to many of the cases. The victim of the June rape and beating also provided police with a description.

“We really do not believe that he would have stopped until he was caught,” Bully-Cummings said at a news conference.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said authorities believe Brooks’ difficult childhood may help explain the motives in the killings. She said Brooks’ mother, who no longer is alive, was a drug addict and that he was abused as a child.

“He really was killing his mother all over again,” Worthy said.

The victims are Sandra Davis, 53; Pamela Greer, 33; Marion Woods-Daniels, 36; Rhonda Myles, 45; Thelma Johnson, 30; and Melissa Toston, 38. A seventh victim was identified only as Jane Doe because her body was too decomposed to identify.

The bodies of Davis and Greer were found nearly five months apart in the same abandoned apartment building.

 

 

 
 
 
 
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