DETROIT – Detroit police have arrested a suspect in the triple homicide that occurred on Edsel Street in Southwest Detroit.
Police Chief Todd Bettison announced Friday, Feb. 20, that a 27-year-old Black man with locs, who has a criminal history and is currently on parole, is in custody.
The suspect’s past offenses include carjacking, armed robbery, felony firearm possession, fleeing from police, resisting, and obstructing.
Bettison did not reveal the suspect’s name, as charges have not yet been filed.
The arrest followed a tip from a community member that led officers to the 1400 block of West Vernor on Thursday, Feb. 19.
Police located and took the suspect into custody, and also recovered a vehicle near the suspect’s home containing evidence believed to be connected to the homicides.
“We are working to present the investigator’s report to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office,” Bettison said. “We believe this is an isolated incident and wanted to update the community to relieve fear or panic.”
The victims have been identified as 66-year-old Norman Hamlin, 72-year-old William Barrett, and 65-year-old Mark Barnett.
Bettison thanked the Detroit Police Department’s homicide task force and partners from the ATF, Michigan State Police, and FBI for their work on the case.
Details about the timeline, motive, and evidence remain under investigation.
Bettison emphasized that it is too early to discuss specifics that might jeopardize the case.
One of the victims was reported missing prior to the discovery of the homicides, which initially brought police to the neighborhood.
Police confirmed that one of the victims lived at the home where the murders occurred.
The investigation is ongoing, and police continue to work closely with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
No charges have been filed yet, and no timeline has been provided for when charges might be announced.
Police assured the community that there is no danger to the public at this time.
What happened
The investigation began around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, when officers responded to a missing person call.
That missing person was later identified as one of the men found dead inside the home on Edsel Street, near Francis Avenue.
When officers arrived, they encountered a surviving witness who told police he had been struck twice in the back of the head with a hammer at the home the day before, according to Detroit Police Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald, who provided an update on the case on Thursday afternoon.
At that point, he left the location and returned home later.
Fitzgerald said all three suffered blunt force trauma, with two also sustaining stab wounds.
“They were left in a basement area covered in old, dirty clothing, and one person was covered in a carpet,” Fitzgerald said.
A neighbor described Hamlin as a Marine veteran and a good man who struggled with drug addiction.
Police responded to the area on Wednesday after Hamlin was reported missing as he hadn’t been seen since Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.
A man approached officers claiming he had been attacked at the home the day before and was struck twice in the back of the head with a hammer.
Investigators believe the murders occurred between Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday morning.
While a clear motive has not been established, retired Detroit Police Assistant Chief Steve Dolunt suggested the violent nature of the attacks may indicate the killer was known to the victims.
Dolunt said investigators are likely identifying those who were close to the three men.
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