DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit police are working to determine who killed an 88-year-old great-grandfather and his 61-year-old son. Both of them are veterans.
“I am really just in shock. It seems like a nightmare. No one can believe it,” Natalino Whitley II said.
His dad and grandfather, Natalino Whitley I and William Whitley, live on Frederick Street just off East Grand Boulevard in Detroit. Detroit firefighters responded to their house just before 6 a.m. Tuesday.
As firefighters entered, they found evidence that someone threw a Molotov cocktail or some kind of explosive device into the home. They searched for people and found the two men upstairs shot multiple times.
Natalino Whitley II says his dad would have turned 62 on Christmas and has worked at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn for almost 30 years. Natalino Whitley I was a family man who lived with his father William Whitley to help care for him.
“We loved Michigan and I just spoke to him Saturday after they won the (football) game. We talked about that on the phone. That was the last conversation I had with him,” Natalino Whitley II said of his dad.
He says his grandfather William Whitley turned 88 years old just days ago.
“My grandfather was a great man all around. And he did not deserve to lose his life like this,” Natalino Whitley II said.
He is wondering who would kill the two men who both served our country. He's also wondering who would kill these family men loved by their children and grandchildren.
“A monster — a monster that needs to be brought to justice. We don’t need these kind of people walking around. Why? What did you get from this?” said Natalino Whitley II.
The Detroit Police Department told WXYZ they do not have any suspects in custody. Investigators are asking for the public’s help, as is the family.
“Please say something. Reach out. I have to have justice for my family,” Natalinio Whitley II said.
Detroit police say there is a reward for information that helps them solve this double homicide. You are asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-800 SPEAK UP. All calls are anonymous.
