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Detroit's Most Wanted: Lenell Kirby wanted for shooting & killing his girlfriend

Posted at 1:01 PM, Oct 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-12 10:41:41-04

He's accused of killing the woman he loved and shooting her niece six times. Now, an all-out manhunt is on for the U.S. Marshals' top fugitive in Detroit.

Agencies across metro Detroit are coming together to find Lenell Kirby. He's torn a family apart as they grieve the loss of a young sister, cousin & aunt, they continue to fight to make sure her killer gets locked up so he can never put a family through the living nightmare they say won't end.

Kirby, 26, allegedly went on a violent attack on June 3. Police say he shot his girlfriend, 28-year-old Tyiela Autrey, in the eye, killing her. Then, he went after her niece, Kiera, while Kiera's mother heard the events on the phone.

"First of all, he shot her in her head, she made a phone call to let me know she had been shot while I was on the phone with her he shot her a couple more times," Lynecia Autrey-Gaston, her sister, said.

"He’s been on the run we have had zero tips we need the viewers help more than anything on this case," U.S. Marshals Deputy Aaron Garcia said. "This guy is our DFAT our fugitive apprehension team’s number one case right now. We believe he’s still here in Detroit, he has ties to the West side of Detroit."

Kiera, at just 22 years old, was an Army veteran. Now, living with survivor's guilt mourning the loss of her aunt and best friend, she's left with a constant reminder of that pain. Gunshot wounds to her head, and now, her most invasive surgery yet.

"I can’t explain to you how dangerous this guy is – we believe he is armed and dangerous and he does not want to go back," Garcia added. 

Kirby, who goes by "Nell," is 5-feet-8, 190 pounds. As always, there's a cash reward for his arrest. You can call the U.S. Marshals at 313-234-5656 or Crime Stoppers at any time at 1-800-SPEAK-UP and remain anonymous.