In the summer of 2012, what began as a night out for two friends ended in a horrifying act of violence that shook the community. Jacob Bernard Kudla, an 18-year-old male, and his friend Jourdan Michael Bobbish, 17, were reported missing after they failed to return home on July 22, 2012. A frantic search for the two Westland teenagers ensued, leaving their families in agonizing uncertainty.
The grim discovery of their bodies five days later in an overgrown field on Detroit's east side confirmed their loved ones' worst fears.
The investigation revealed a brutal and senseless crime. Kudla and Bobbish had been subjected to torture before being shot execution-style. Their bodies were found stripped to their undergarments, a chilling detail that spoke to the cruelty of their final moments. Authorities located Kudla's car, a 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier, abandoned and stripped of its sound system. The vehicle had been cleaned with bleach in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The perpetrators, Frederick Young and Felando Hunter, were eventually apprehended and brought to justice. During the trial, harrowing testimony revealed the victims had pleaded for their lives before being mercilessly killed. In 2015, both Young and Hunter were convicted for the torture and murder of Jacob Kudla and Jourdan Bobbish. They were subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hunter was already serving a life sentence for another murder committed in August 2012. Before his sentencing, Young made a controversial statement in court, apologizing to the families of other victims of violence in a move that drew national attention but offered little solace to the grieving families of the two murdered teens.
