In a tragic turn of events that began over a dropped wallet, 13-year-old Deontae Mitchell of Detroit was abducted and killed. The young male was riding bicycles with his cousin on the evening of May 31, 2016, when they saw a man, later identified as Gregory Walker, drop about $70 outside a market. Deontae picked up the money, an act that would unfortunately lead to his untimely death.
Shortly after, Deontae was forcibly taken by Walker and thrown into a car.
Surveillance footage captured the harrowing moment of his abduction. An Amber Alert was issued, and a citywide search was launched the following morning. Tragically, Deontae's body was discovered in a field in Detroit on June 2, 2016. An autopsy later revealed that the young teen had been tortured and strangled to death.
The investigation quickly led to the identification of three suspects: Gregory Walker, then 45, his girlfriend Lillian Roberts, 43, and her son, Ernest Coleman, 26. Walker and Roberts were apprehended in a Toledo, Ohio, motel, while Coleman was arrested in Detroit. All three were charged with murder, kidnapping, and torture.
In court, prosecutors laid out a grim narrative, stating that Walker, with the assistance of Roberts and Coleman, beat and ultimately choked the child to death in retaliation for taking the money. All three suspects eventually pleaded guilty to their involvement in the crime. Walker pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping and was sentenced to 40 to 60 years in prison. Roberts also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping, receiving a sentence of 24 to 40 years. Coleman pleaded guilty to charges including torture and unlawful imprisonment and was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison. During their sentencing, both Walker and Roberts offered apologies to Deontae Mitchell's family for their roles in the senseless and brutal killing of the young boy.
