kent county prosecutor's office

A data table listing individuals charged with "Felony Murder" under statute "750.316b" is superimposed over the dark silhouette of a person facing away from the camera.

Serving life for an unintended death: how felony murder locks up Black Michiganders

Etai Smotrich-Barr

When the Wayne County prosecutor charged Kevin Matlock with felony murder, he could only think one thing: “I didn't kill anyone. Why do y’all keep saying murder?”

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald implores Oakland County Judge Kwame Rowe to sentence Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley to life without parole during closing statements on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, in Pontiac, Mich. Last week, McDonald announced she founded a non-profit focused on preventing gun violence through public education efforts.

Criminal Justice & Legal System

Oakland County seeks life again, more information, for nearly 20% of its young adult "lifers"

Adam Yahya Rayes

Following Michigan Supreme Court rulings, Oakland County is asking judges to resentence 16 people to life without parole. Kent County is asking for 15 renewed life sentences.

A large black-and-white collage composed of hundreds of individual head-and-shoulders portraits arranged in neat rows, like a checkerboard. Each portrait shows a different person’s outline against a plain background, creating a dense grid of faces across the entire image. The overall effect emphasizes scale and diversity rather than any single individual.

Criminal Justice & Legal System

As deadlines loom, Wayne County faces “herculean task” in resentencing hundreds of lifers

Adam Yahya Rayes, Zena Issa, Steve Carmody

County prosecutors are running out of time to make key decisions for people serving life without parole for crimes they committed as young adults. Progress varies by county.