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Man Charged After 2 Women Beaten To Death; Pleads Not Guilty

Kiernan Brown
Eaton County Sheriff's Department
Kiernan Brown appearing in Eaton County Sheriff Dept. mugshot.

UPDATED Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.: a Delta Township man pleaded not guilty today to killing 2 women during his arraignment.

Our media partner WLNS-TV reports that Kiernan Brown entered the pleas Tuesday afternoon in Ingham county court. He faces two counts of open murder and two counts of armed robbery.

Police said that last Friday, Brown showed them cell phone pictures of 2 deceased women.

They later found a 26-year-old victim in Holt and and a 32-year-old victim in Meridian Township.

Brown is being held without bond in jail.

UPDATED Tuesday at 12:00 p.m.: A man has been charged with murder in the deaths of two women who were found fatally beaten after he allegedly showed cellphone photos of the bodies to police during a traffic stop in central Michigan.

Authorities went to court Monday to get warrants against 27-year-old Kiernan Brown of Delta Township in the deaths of 26-year-old Kaylee Ann Brock of Holt and 32-year-old Julie Ann Mooney of Williamston. Police found their bodies Friday in separate Lansing-area communities.

Brown is due in court on Tuesday. Records don't yet list a defense lawyer for him.

Authorities say Brown was arrested following a traffic stop early Friday on Interstate 69. Police began searching for him after an ex-girlfriend reported he was violating a personal protection order by knocking on her door and sending disturbing text messages. She's not among the victims.

UPDATED Monday at 7:00 p.m.An arraignment is scheduled Tuesday afternoon for a man accused of killing two women last Friday.

Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth says the male suspect will be arraigned on Tuesday. The Lansing State Journal and WKAR media partner WLNS TV identify him as 27-year-old Kiernan Brown.

Police said that during a traffic stop along I-69 early Friday morning, the man showed them pictures of two dead women.

Officers later found Kaylee Ann Brock in an apartment in Holt.  Julie Ann Mooney of Williamston was found in an hotel room in Meridian Township. Both women were beaten to death.

The motive and connection between the suspect and victims have not been made public.

UPDATED Saturday at 8:00 p.m.: Authorities have released the names of two women who were found beaten to death after a man showed cellphone photos of the bodies to police during a traffic stop in Michigan.

The Ingham County sheriff’s office says Saturday that the victims are 26-year-old Kaylee Ann Brock of Holt and 32-year-old Julie Ann Mooney of Williamston. Police found their bodies Friday in separate communities near Lansing.

A 26-year-old Delta Township man is expected to be arraigned in their deaths in the coming days.

 

Authorities say he was arrested following a traffic stop early Friday on Interstate 69. 

 

Police began searching for him after an ex-girlfriend reported that he was violating a personal protection order by knocking on her door and sending disturbing text messages. She’s not among the victims.

Scott Wriggelsworth, Ingham County Sheriff
Credit WLNS-TV Lansing (WKAR media partner)
Scott Wriggelsworth, Ingham County Sheriff during May 10 news conference.

UPDATED Friday at 12:00 p.m.: At a news conference on Friday morning, Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth said the investigation started at 2:40 a.m. with a woman who called police in Eaton County to complain about a man trying to enter her home. 

She didn't let him in. But before the man drove away, he texted the woman "he had been ridding the demons of some dear friends of his."

Within the hour, Eaton County sheriff's deputies found the suspect driving along I-69. After stopping the man, they took him into custody for other warrants. Wriggelsworth said the man showed the officers pictures of two deceased women on his phone.

The victims were later found in apartments in Holt and Meridian Township. The Michigan State Police crime lab is now processing both scenes. Police are waiting for next of kin notification before releasing the victim's names. Sheriff Wriggelsworth said the Holt victim is 26-years-old. The victim found in Meridian Township is 32-years-old but is believed to be from Williamston.

Sheriff Wriggelsworth believes the man would have killed two other women had police not stopped him.

"I don’t think there’s any doubt that this suspect was on a killing spree and his quick capture probably saved many lives," said Sheriff Wriggelsworth. 

Officers have contacted two other women who were believed to be targets and both are safe.

Once charges are submitted to prosecutors, Sheriff Wriggelsworth said the suspect's name will be released to the public. It's believed that he is 26 or 27-years-old.

It’s unclear the relationship between the suspect and victims. 

Sheriff Wriggelsworth said the public is safe with the suspect in custody.

Click on this sentence for video from WKAR media partner WLNS-TV.

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