In the spring of 1990, a wave of violence related to the crack cocaine epidemic crested in Detroit, culminating in a tragic event that claimed the life of 16-year-old Bobby Lee Frazier. On the evening of April 4th, Frazier was present at a house on St. Aubin Street, a location known to be involved in the local drug trade. The house became the target of a robbery that spiraled into one of the city's most notorious mass murders.
Frazier, along with five other individuals, fell victim to the brutal attack. The other victims were identified as Steven Owens, 32, the operator of the house and the primary target of the robbery; Rodney Lamarr Lewis, 22; Carl D. Williams, 21; LeVon Robinson, 18; and Robert Lee Hill, who was only 15 years old.
The investigation into the six homicides moved swiftly, aided by information from survivors of the attack. Within a short period, four young suspects were apprehended and charged with the murders. The alleged mastermind behind the deadly robbery was 18-year-old Tamara Marie Marshall, the former girlfriend of Steven Owens. The prosecution contended that Marshall orchestrated the plan to rob the house of its drugs and money. She was joined by three accomplices: 19-year-old Jamal Latiff Biggs, 20-year-old Mark Lamond Bell, and Marc Caison. The group was accused of carrying out the robbery with ruthless efficiency, eliminating witnesses to prevent any retaliation.
The legal proceedings that followed painted a grim picture of the city's struggle with youth violence and the drug trade. Tamara Marie Marshall was portrayed by the prosecution as the 'angel of death,' who not only planned the robbery but also personally shot her ex-boyfriend, Steven Owens. In a highly publicized trial, a jury found Marshall guilty on three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and one count of being an accessory to murder. For her role in the massacre, she received a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Her co-defendants, Jamal Biggs and Mark Bell, were also convicted of first-degree murder by separate juries and handed similar life sentences. The fourth suspect, Marc Caison, was scheduled to be tried at a later date. The case served as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of the crack cocaine crisis on the city's youth.
