2008 Crime and Homicide in Lansing

While murder is not very common in Lansing, after three weekends of violence and multiple murders in the city of Lansing already this year, Lansing police say we are getting more than usual in 2008.

The city averages about ten murders per  year.  This year, by mid-July the numbers were already creeping up.

In March, Justin Week, 23, was killed and Corey Williams, 23, was found floating in the river.  Lansing police say they are still not sure where or how Williams was killed.

Several deaths also took place in May. 

On May 7, police say Laycee Johnson, 13 mos, was murdered by her mother's boyfriend.  On the 12th, a homeless man was stabbed to death behind the Volunteers of America Shelter on North Larch St, and on the 21st, both Miranda Garaza, 25, and James Jones, 25, were killed in their Lansing home.

On May 16, the body of a Lansing man was found at Castle Point Apartments but the Ingham County Prosecutors Office and the medical examiner still have not released a cause of death.

The most recent event took place Monday.  The victim is Jason Cook, 32.

Officers say not all of these are confirmed murders and the body found in the river may not have originated in Lansing, but the number of suspicious deaths is up and of concern to the department.

"We make a lot of efforts proactively to reduce criminal activity in the community. Homicides in particular are very difficult to reduce and we hope our proactive efforts are paying off," said Lieutenant David Nosotti of the Lansing Police Department

Nosotti says most of the crimes have been solved.  Now it is up to the prosecutors office to bring the perpetrators to justice.