Kym Worthy, the prosecutor of Wayne County, Michigan, charged 24-year-old Jimmy Jermaine Pickett with first-degree felony murder after world-renowned hairdresser Bashar Kallabat was found beaten to death in his hotel room, reports The Oakland Press.
If convicted, Pickett will be in prison for life without parole.
The Detroit Police Department believe that Pickett and Kallabat met on a dating app. The Detroit PD said that Kallabat paid for Pickett’s ride-sharing service that took him to JZ Motel & Suites in Detroit on Tuesday, February 11. The police allege that Pickett entered Kallabat’s motel room, killed him, and stole his personal property before fleeing the scene. There are many articles about encounters from dating apps going horribly wrong so it’s incredibly important that anyone who uses them exercise caution.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig urged people during a press conference that if someone is using a dating app, they should meet the person they are planning to meet in a public place and tell friends and family where they are going.
Kallabat’s body was discovered after the motel staff noticed that the door to his room was left open. He died of blunt-force trauma to the head.
On February 28, Pickett will have his probable cause conference and his preliminary examination on March 6. Motel cameras helped the police identify the suspect, as the cameras were part of Project Green Light Detroit, a police initiative in which a flashing green light indicates that the area is monitored by the police. Pickett was identified in less than twelve hours after discovering the body because he was wearing a distinct jacket from his place of employment where he was employed as a security guard.
Pickett was on probation for an unarmed robbery that he committed in 2017, so he has committed similar crimes, just not with such a tragic outcome. Jaimie Powell Horowitz, a homicide prosecutor from the Fair Michigan Justice Project is in charge of prosecuting the case. The Fair Michigan Justice Project aids law enforcement to help solve serious crimes against LGBT+ people.
Kallabat’s work has been featured in many publications such as Vogue and celebrities, when in the Detroit area, were known to visit him to get their hair styled. He came to the United States from Iraq at the age of three and worked hard to achieve such influence. His life was unfortunately cut short for no good reason, but he will be remembered for his work in life. Sadly, there are just bad people out there and hopefully, Pickett gets what he deserves. ‘
Source: The Oakland Press