In the spring of 2014, the life of 29-year-old Ben Keys was tragically cut short in Detroit, Michigan. On April 30th, he and a woman named Laura Zechman were discovered deceased inside a vehicle, both victims of fatal gunshot wounds. The initial discovery launched a complex investigation that would unravel a story of retaliation and hired killings.
Authorities determined that the murders of Keys and Zechman were not an isolated incident but were connected to a prior shooting that had
occurred on November 6, 2013, at the Eastside Barbershop. The investigation revealed that their deaths were part of a series of retaliatory acts of violence that followed the barbershop shooting. This intricate web of crime pointed to a calculated and planned execution.
The investigation into the deaths of Ben Keys and Laura Zechman led to the identification and arrest of two primary suspects: Antonio Caddell and Ricco William-Salmon. Both men were subsequently charged with first-degree premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The prosecution built a case that portrayed the murders as hired killings, orchestrated as retribution for the earlier incident.
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence that implicated Caddell and William-Salmon in the planning and carrying out of the murders. The jury found both men guilty of first-degree premeditated murder. As a result of their convictions, Antonio Caddell and Ricco William-Salmon were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring they would be held accountable for their roles in the deaths of Ben Keys and Laura Zechman.
