DETROIT – Film company Detroit Son is offering a $5,000 reward alongside a documentary to help bring author Donald Goines' story to life and bring closure to his 1974 death.
The announcement was made on Wednesday (March 12) surrounding the fatal shooting of Goines and his common-law wife Shirley Sailor 51 years ago, which remains unsolved.
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Detroit Son has hired private investigator and award-winning journalist Bill Proctor to investigate the deaths.
Goines and Sailor were found shot multiple times in their Highland Park flat on Oct. 1, 1974. Initial reports indicated that two men were involved.
Anyone with information is asked to call 586-873-1371.
In addition to the investigation and the reward, Detroit Son is working on a documentary about Goines.
Goines lied about his age to enlist in the military at 15, and he served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. After he was discharged, he wound up addicted to heroin and on the wrong side of the law.
However, Goines overcame criminal life through his creativity as an author.
After leaving prison in 1970, he published 16 books in 4½ years. His stories reflected much of what he saw around him and became cult classics for many Detroiters, including justice-impacted individuals.
The books were reissued in 2022, and many hip-hop artists have cited Goines in their songs.
One of the documentary’s executive producers, Robert (Tape) Bailey, said that not enough people know Goines' life story, so the film is to finally tell his story, as it should be told.
Another executive producer, Craig Gore, said many people took a different path after reading a Goines book.
The half-million-dollar documentary will be filmed mainly in Detroit and Highland Park and is expected to be released in the spring of 2026. how