Michael Dace

The life of Michael Jerome Dace II, a 22-year-old Black man, ended on a Tuesday, leaving a silence where a story should be. His death on September 6, 2011, is recorded in the public record with just a few stark details: a name, an age, and an address. He was killed on the 16100 block of Cherrylawn Street, a residential road lined with modest brick homes and mature trees on Detroit's west side, in the Martin Park neighborhood. But the official documents and public accounts that often help build a bridge of understanding and memory for a life lost are, in Michael’s case, almost entirely absent.

Who Michael was—what he loved, who he held dear, what dreams he was chasing—remains within the private circle of those who knew him. There are no public obituaries to celebrate his life, no news articles that captured his personality through the words of grieving family or friends, and no memorial pages that share anecdotes or photos. His digital footprint is a ghost, a name listed on official documents and homicide databases, a confirmation of his existence and his tragic end, but with none of the color and warmth that define a life. His absence is a profound personal loss for his loved ones, but the silence surrounding his story is a loss for the community as well.

The events of September 6, 2011, are known only in fragments. On that day, Michael became one of more than 300 homicide victims in Detroit that year. The circumstances of his death, the specific time of the incident on Cherrylawn Street, what led to the violence, and how he died have not been shared publicly by authorities. The Detroit Police Department responded to the scene, and their homicide unit would have opened an investigation, but the details of their findings—what evidence was collected, whether there were any witnesses, or if a motive was ever established—have never been released.

The investigation into Michael's murder remains open but unsolved. No suspects have ever been publicly named, no arrests have been made, and no one has been charged in connection with his death. For more than a decade, the case has grown cold, one of thousands of unsolved homicides in the city that leave families in a state of suspended grief, waiting for a break that may never come. The lack of resolution means there have been no court dates, no trial, and no measure of justice for Michael.

The silence from official channels is echoed by the absence of public vigils, community appeals, or fundraisers in his name that often follow such tragedies. The primary public acknowledgment that his case is not forgotten comes from Crime Stoppers of Michigan. The organization includes Michael Dace II in its homicide database, a somber listing that serves as a quiet plea for help from the public. It signifies that investigators believe someone, somewhere has information that could move the case forward.

As of today, Michael Dace’s case remains an open and unsolved homicide investigation. There is no reward amount specified in public-facing documents, but Crime Stoppers of Michigan consistently offers cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest in felony cases. The path to justice for Michael depends on someone breaking the silence that has surrounded his case for over a decade. Anyone with information about the killing of Michael Jerome Dace II is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. All tips can be made anonymously.