Human Remains Found in Shed During Renovation Lead to Double Murder Charges Years Later

Police in Kalamazoo, Michigan, have arrested Rajai Keyontae Brown after human remains discovered on a residential property were identified as two individuals who had been missing since 2022.

The bodies of Alfred Oneal Simpson, 67, and Tarra Dametria Mayes, 46, were found on August 22, 2023, inside an exterior shed at a Kalamazoo home. The discovery was made by a man who had recently purchased the property and was cleaning and remodeling it.

Investigators said evidence indicated the remains had been in the shed for a “significant period” before they were located.

Mayes had been missing for approximately a year and a half before the discovery, according to a statement from her daughter. Family members also reported that Simpson and Mayes were in a relationship and had been living together.

Rajai Keyontae Brown, 44, a former resident of the property, was arrested on February 11, 2026. He faces two counts of open murder.
Authorities determined that both victims had been living with Brown at the home when they disappeared around March 13, 2022. Phone records showed Mayes’ device stopped sharing location data that same day, while data placed Brown’s phone in the same area until the following day.

Autopsies concluded that Mayes died from multiple injuries, including blunt-force fractures to the cervical spine. Simpson died from multiple injuries involving both sharp and blunt force trauma to the spine.

According to court documents, a witness told detectives that Brown allegedly confessed to the killings in 2022. The witness reported that Brown said Mayes had brandished a knife and that he stabbed her, then stabbed Simpson when Simpson attempted to intervene.

Brown was taken into custody on outstanding warrants and is being held without bond. It is not yet clear whether he has retained legal representation.

Police credited the arrest to sustained investigative efforts and stated their commitment to seeking accountability for the victims and their families.

The case remains ongoing as it proceeds through the legal system.