Shelly Brooks
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MDOC photo of Shelly Brooks
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| Born | (1969-01-22) January 22, 1969 (age 55) |
| Conviction(s) | Murder Attempted murder Sexual assault |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | 7–20+ |
Span of crimes | 2001–2006 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Michigan |
Date apprehended | June 26, 2006 |
| Imprisoned at | G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility, Jackson Michigan |
Shelly Andre Brooks (born January 22, 1969)[1] is an American serial killer who murdered at least seven women in Detroit, Michigan, from 2001 to 2006, though he is suspected of up to 20 murders and possibly more. He was caught thanks to a survivor and fully admitted his guilt at his trials, for which he was given multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Brooks was born on January 22, 1969, in Detroit, Michigan, but later raised in Ann Arbor, around 40–50 miles from Detroit. His father neglected him, and when he was four, his mother left the family, leaving him in the hands of his grandparents. Brooks was reported to be angry at his mother throughout his childhood,[2] though he never saw her again after she left the family. Throughout his early years, Brooks showed signs of low intelligence.
Brooks targeted middle-aged female prostitutes or homeless drug addicts as his victims.[3] He committed his crimes around the city of Detroit, dumping their bodies in abandoned buildings and houses. He was able to easily win the trust of his victims because of his own life on the streets. He started killing at age 32 in 2001, and throughout the next five years, he would kill at least six more women until 2006, at age 36. He is suspected of up to 20+ murders from as early as 1999.[4]
Brooks would take his victims to abandoned buildings and houses, where he sexually assaulted them and beat them to death with rocks.[5] He left his victims' bodies in the same abandoned buildings he lured them into. His victims ranged in age from 30 to 54 years old.
Full list of Brooks' known victims
| Number | Name | Sex | Age | Date of Murder | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sandra Davis | F | 54 | August 16, 2001 | |
| 2 | Pamela Greer | F | 33 | January 22, 2002 | |
| 3 | Marion Daniels | F | 36 | April 14, 2002 | |
| 4 | Rhonda Myles | F | 45 | April 22, 2002 | Bludgeoned to death with a brick |
| 5 | Thelma Johnson | F | 30 | November 5, 2002 | |
| 6 | Melissa Toston | F | 38 | October 18, 2005 | |
| 7 | Unidentified | F | N/A | June 5, 2006 | Brooks claimed the murder was a robbery gone wrong, not a sex attack |
On June 26, 2006, Brooks was arrested for sexually assaulting a woman.[4] After his arrest, his DNA was transferred into a database in an effort to possibly connect him to any unsolved cold cases. Authorities had their first hit after they successfully linked him to the 2002 slaying of Pamela Greer. Thanks to further research, they exposed his involvement in the other murders. In 2007, he was found guilty and was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment. He is currently imprisoned at the Kinross Correctional FacilityinKincheloe, Michigan.[1]
