A 69-year-old Detroit man is facing a slate of serious charges after police say he opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle and killed his girlfriend inside their home early Monday morning.
On Monday, officers were called to the 9300 block of Birwood shortly after 2 a.m. for an “unknown problem.” When they arrived, they found 49-year-old Latoya Reeves with gunshot wounds to her chest and right hand. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she later died. Prosecutors say her boyfriend, 69-year-old Keith Custer, is the one who pulled the trigger.
Charges and Scene
According to ClickOnDetroit, Custer is charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of felon in possession of a firearm, one count of felon in possession of ammunition, and three counts of felony-firearm. Investigators say the weapon was a semi-automatic rifle, the same type of long gun that has drawn heightened scrutiny from local prosecutors in other recent homicide cases.
Police have not publicly outlined what led up to the shooting inside the Birwood home, and the initial 911 call did not spell it out either, coming in simply as an “unknown problem.” By the time officers got inside, Reeves was critically wounded and could not be saved.
Arraignment and Relationship
Custer was arraigned on July 9 and was denied bond, ClickOnDetroit reported. The court also ordered that he undergo a competency evaluation to determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial.
Reeves and Custer were in a relationship and living together at the time of the shooting, according to a statement from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office cited by the outlet. Custer is scheduled to return to court for a probable-cause conference on July 20, a key early hearing where a judge will decide whether the case moves forward to trial.
What the Charges Carry
Under Michigan law, a conviction for first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, according to the Michigan Legislature. If a defendant is also convicted of felony-firearm, that comes with mandatory prison time that must be served before and in addition to any sentence for the underlying crime.
For a first felony-firearm conviction, the statute generally requires a two-year prison term that runs consecutively to any other sentence. The provision is set out in MCL 750.227b, part of the state’s criminal code, as compiled by the Michigan Legislature.
Local Context
Wayne County prosecutors have recently leaned hard on firearm charges in other homicide files. Last month, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office announced charges in a Livonia quadruple homicide, a case in which a semi-automatic rifle was reported as the weapon used. The office highlighted the prosecution as part of its response to deadly gun violence involving long guns, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
Next Steps
Custer remains in custody with bond denied while the court-ordered competency evaluation is underway. Police and prosecutors have not released additional details about a possible motive in Reeves’s killing.
The case is set to move through a probable-cause hearing on July 20, and more court dates are expected as the investigation continues and both sides begin to lay out their evidence in court.
