On New Year's Day in 2012, the city of Detroit was marked by a senseless act of violence that claimed the life of 39-year-old Lamark Billingslea. The son of Joe Billingslea, a founding member of the iconic Motown group The Contours, Lamark was managing HR's Lounge on the city's northeast side. In the early hours of the morning, a fight broke out between patrons at the nightclub. Attempting to de-escalate the situation and restore peace, Billingslea intervened.
It was during this act of mediation that he was tragically shot in the neck.
In the chaotic aftermath, friends of Billingslea, in a desperate attempt to save him, chose not to wait for an ambulance. They loaded him into a vehicle to rush him to a nearby hospital, but their journey was cut short by a car accident. Detroit Police officers arrived at the scene of the crash and took over the transport, getting Billingslea to a hospital. Despite these efforts, he was pronounced dead. The shooting also resulted in injuries to two women who were caught in the crossfire; they were treated at a hospital and subsequently released.
In the immediate wake of the shooting, Detroit Police investigators worked to piece together the events that transpired inside the lounge. However, their initial efforts did not lead to any immediate arrests. As of late in the evening on the day after the incident, authorities had not taken any suspects into custody. The case proved to be a difficult one to solve, and with no forthcoming leads or arrests, the investigation eventually grew cold. The murder of Lamark Billingslea remains an unsolved crime, a lingering tragedy for his family and the city of Detroit. To this day, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no one has been charged in connection with his death, leaving a void of justice for a man who lost his life while trying to be a peacemaker.
