The Port Huron Police Department has announced that 23-year-old suspect Dazman Robert Drake has been extradited to Michigan following his arrest in Georgia by the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force on February 12 for a Detroit double homicide. According to Mid Michigan Now, the arrest was based on intelligence from the Port Huron Major Crimes Unit. Drake faces a myriad of charges, including open murder, felony firearm, and arson.
Drake was arrested outside of Atlanta, Georgia, and was charged on April 14 in connection with a January murder in Port Huron. He was charged with six felonies, which stem from the shooting death of Vincent Buckles, found by first responders dispatched to a vehicle fire on Jan. 28, as reported by Click On Detroit. Authorities have tied the arson to the murder and believe that the fire was intentionally set to cover up the crime.
The Times Herald reports that Drake is also accused in connection with a separate double shooting in Detroit, with one victim being severely injured and another, a 40-year-old man, succumbing to the wounds. This tragic event took place in December 2023. His arraignment on Monday denied him bond, and Drake is now held in jail awaiting a court appearance on April 22.
Regarding the events leading to Buckles' death, Sayon Rena-Tennille-Semaj Florence, a 36-year-old woman who shared a child with the victim, was implicated. During her preliminary hearing, Port Huron Police Detective James Campbell testified, "Florence admitted to setting up the confrontation between Buckles and Drake, but said she only intended for Drake to scare Buckles, not kill him," as stated by the Times Herald. Florence, who had been released earlier, has now been rearrested and charged with murder after new evidence linked her further to the crime.
Both suspects, if convicted, face up to life in prison. Drake’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 22, where he will face charges that include open murder and felony firearm, among others. Meanwhile, details of the case continue to surface as authorities piece together the chain of events that led to these violent acts.
