On a spring evening in Detroit, Michigan, a 32-year-old man named Steven Owens lost his life in a violent encounter that would also claim the lives of five other individuals. The events of April 4, 1990, unfolded inside a house on St. Aubin Street, a place the authorities would later describe as a crack house that Owens himself operated. This brutal incident, which came to be known as the St.
Aubin Street massacre, was orchestrated as a robbery that spiraled into a mass murder, leaving a lasting scar on the community and resulting in life sentences for most of those involved.
The plan was set in motion by a group of young individuals. At the forefront was 18-year-old Tamara Marie Marshall, a former girlfriend of Steven Owens. Accompanied by Jamal Latiff Biggs, 19, and Mark Lamond Bell, 20, with 19-year-old Marc Caison acting as the getaway driver, Marshall initiated the deadly confrontation. She was the first to enter the residence, with Biggs and Bell, the alleged gunmen, following closely behind. The initial intent was robbery, but the night took a devastating turn, resulting in the deaths of Owens, Bobby Lee Frazier, 16, Rodney Lamarr Lewis, 22, Carl D. Williams, 21, Robert Lee Hill, 15, and LeVon Robinson, 18.
The investigation that followed was swift, aided by survivors who were able to provide crucial information to the police. This led to the quick apprehension of the four suspects. The subsequent legal proceedings painted a grim picture of the events of that night. Prosecutors argued that Tamara Marie Marshall was the architect of the deadly robbery. It was alleged that she personally shot Steven Owens and then directed the others to eliminate any potential witnesses. The trials of Marshall, Biggs, and Bell concluded with convictions for murder. Tamara Marie Marshall was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder, including that of Steven Owens, two counts of second-degree murder, and one count of being an accessory. She was handed a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jamal Latiff Biggs and Mark Lamond Bell were also convicted of first-degree murder and received life sentences for their roles in the massacre.
The fourth individual, Marc Caison, who had served as the driver, was also charged in connection with the murders. While the initial reports indicated he would stand trial later, the specific outcome of his case remains less publicized. The St. Aubin Street massacre stood as a stark reminder of the destructive impact of the crack cocaine epidemic on Detroit in that era, a tragedy where the lives of six men, including Steven Owens, were cut short in a convergence of greed and violence.
