Michelle Artist

Michelle Artist was a 30-year-old Black woman from Detroit, remembered by her relatives as a loving and devoted mother. Her daughter, who was a teenager when her mother was killed, later recalled how excited Michelle had been to see her start high school. That shared milestone, and many others to come, were cruelly stolen from them.

The tragedy unfolded on April 9, 2016. That day, Michelle was driving her white Ford Focus on the Southfield freeway near the Seven Mile exit. In a sudden burst of violence, an unknown assailant fired multiple bullets into the vehicle. The gunfire proved fatal for both Michelle and her passenger, a 28-year-old man.

In the immediate aftermath, Michelle’s relatives voiced their belief that the shooting may have been a tragic case of mistaken identity. The loss left a profound and lasting void in her family's life. Three years after the shooting, Michelle's daughter, then 18 and preparing for her high school graduation, spoke of the deep pain of facing these moments without her mother. She expressed the family's urgent need for help, as the person responsible for the crime had never been brought to justice.

The Detroit Police Department launched an investigation into the double homicide that continues to this day. However, years have passed without an arrest. As of April 2019, the case remains unsolved, and the killer is still at large. Investigators are asking for the public's help to finally provide answers for Michelle Artist's family. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.