MSP: No leads in halfway house murder - WNEM TV 5

Authorities say tips have "slowed down" in the case of a man who was shot and killed by two suspects with assault-style rifles after he was recently pardoned by former President Barack Obama.

The shooting happened about 9:40 p.m. on Jan. 23 at 2209 Norman Street in Saginaw, the location of the Bannum Place Federal Corrections Halfway House.

Michigan State Police spokesperson Lt. David Kaiser said the two masked men went into the building and shot 31-year-old Demarlon Thomas of Saginaw.

He was shot multiple times by one of the gunman, while the other held roughly two dozen others at the home at gunpoint.

Thomas died at the scene. No one else was shot and the suspects took off.

Thomas was a former Sunnyside Gang member, Kaiser said.

He had been sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2008 on a cocaine charge but with the commutation the sentence was to expire in March.

"This is his neighborhood and it would have been an easy transition back into society, back home here," Kaiser said.

Kaiser told TV5 on Thursday, Feb. 2 that tips to authorities have "slowed down." All existing tips have been checked by police, but have not resulted in any leads towards suspects. The MSP Crime Lab continues to process evidence from the scene, Kaiser said.  

The Federal Bureau of Prisons released the following statement on the shooting:

“Residential operations at the facility are temporarily suspended while the investigation is ongoing and all residents have been temporarily moved from the RRC. We cannot discuss details regarding security measures at RRCs. The Michigan State Police are investigating the shooting and therefore we cannot comment further at this time.”

If you have any information, call D/SGT. Jim Bush at (231) 250-9471  or Crime Stoppers at  1-800-422-JAIL.

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