In the early hours of a cold February morning in Westland, Michigan, the lives of two men were tragically cut short in a fatal encounter that stemmed from a drug-related robbery. Jordan Baker, a 19-year-old male from Wayne, Michigan, was found shot to death on February 6, 2017. His body, along with that of 35-year-old Howard Wick of Westland, was discovered in the vicinity of Newburgh and Michigan Avenue after residents reported hearing gunshots.
The two men were victims of a double homicide.
Within a day of the discovery, Westland police, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, apprehended three suspects in connection with the killings. The investigation quickly revealed that the incident was not a random act of violence but a planned robbery that went horribly wrong. The three individuals arrested were 19-year-old Dominik Charleston of Romulus, 19-year-old Kobi Taylor, who was homeless, and 17-year-old Amber Tackett of Taylor. The trio had conspired to steal marijuana, a plan that ultimately led to the shooting deaths of Baker and Wick.
The legal proceedings that followed brought the grim details of the crime to light. All three suspects faced serious charges, including felony murder and armed robbery. Dominik Charleston was also charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The evidence presented during the trials painted a picture of a robbery that escalated to a double homicide. The court process was undoubtedly agonizing for the families of the victims, who were present to witness the delivery of justice.
In the end, the three perpetrators were held accountable for their actions. Dominik Charleston received a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Kobi Taylor was sentenced to a term of 65 to 95 years behind bars, with the presiding judge labeling him a 'diabolical monster.' Amber Tackett, the youngest of the three, was sentenced to 5 to 20 years in prison for her role in the tragic events that led to the deaths of Jordan Baker and Howard Wick.
