In the early morning hours of February 17, 2015, the quiet of Florence Street in Inkster, Michigan, was shattered by the sound of gunshots. Responding to a call around 1:30 a.m. regarding suspicious activity, police discovered a tragic scene inside a home. Thirty-eight-year-old Shara Newell, a Black female, and her friend, Miracle LaFaye Rogers, were found, both having been shot multiple times.
The two women were pronounced dead at the scene.
Shara Newell was a mother of five children whose ages ranged from four to nineteen at the time of her death. Family members remembered her as a devoted mother, a good-spirited, and caring person who would do anything for those she loved. Her friend, Miracle Rogers, was the 32-year-old biological daughter of Wanda Young, a member of the Motown group The Marvelettes, and was a mother to three young girls herself. The two women were described as best friends.
The investigation into the double homicide was handled by the Inkster Police Department with assistance from the Michigan State Police. Investigators quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence. Inkster Police Chief Vicki Yost stated that one of the victims was 'known to police,' a comment that drew criticism from Newell's family who felt it unfairly cast a negative light on her memory. Authorities interviewed several persons of interest in an attempt to establish a motive for the killings.
Despite investigators believing they had strong leads in the case, no suspects were immediately named and no arrests were made in the immediate aftermath of the murders. The community was left in shock, and the families of both Shara Newell and Miracle Rogers were left to mourn their profound loss, pleading for anyone with information to come forward to bring justice for the two mothers whose lives were cut short. The case remains unsolved as police continue to seek leads.
