In the summer of 2022, the life of 32-year-old Tiffany Joseph was tragically cut short in what prosecutors describe as a horrifying murder-for-hire plot. On the evening of July 5, 2022, Detroit police were dispatched to a residence on Rosemont Avenue, where they discovered Ms. Joseph's body. She had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into her death quickly unveiled a sinister plot orchestrated by her ex-boyfriend, 35-year-old Billy
Ray Cromer. It is alleged that on July 4, 2022, while incarcerated at the Wayne County Jail on unrelated charges, Billy Cromer solicited his 18-year-old nephew, Spencer Louis Cromer III, to kill Ms. Joseph. This act was reportedly the culmination of a history of severe domestic abuse. Nearly two years prior, in October 2020, Billy Cromer had been charged with the assault and torture of Ms. Joseph, who was pregnant at the time. The brutal attack resulted in the tragic loss of their unborn child.
Following the discovery of Tiffany Joseph's body, both Billy Ray Cromer and Spencer Louis Cromer III were charged in connection with her murder. Billy Ray Cromer faced a charge of first-degree premeditated murder. Spencer Louis Cromer III was charged with first-degree premeditated murder and felony firearm. Both men were arraigned in 36th District Court and remanded to jail. During their arraignment, they both entered not guilty pleas. The case highlighted the devastating consequences of domestic violence, as the prior assault case against Billy Ray Cromer was still pending at the time of Ms. Joseph's death, with court proceedings having been delayed.
