By SHERRI KOLADE
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — A Florida man accused of killing a woman more than two decades ago was bound over to Wayne County Circuit Court after a preliminary examination in front of 19th District Judge Mark Somers Jan. 18.
Fort Pierce, Fla., resident Kelly Michael Brady, 45, was arraigned June 13 at the court in the murder of 62-year-old Gracielita Flores on July 12, 1991.
Flores was killed while working at the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services in Dearborn.
According to a published report, Brady told police that he was drunk that evening and entered the unlocked ACCESS building after he saw lights on inside, struck Flores on the head with a fire extinguisher, sexually assaulted her with a nameplate from a nearby desk and stole candy and money from a vending machine.
Brady’s trial was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Jan. 25 in front of Wayne County Circuit Judge Margaret Van Houten on one count of first-degree murder, punishable by life in prison without parole and two counts of felony murder.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office issued charges including premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of felony murder against Brady, who was living in the state at the time of the murder, according to a Dearborn police press release.
In May, Dearborn police received information from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Department in Florida regarding a person of interest in the case, according to reports.
After conferring with investigators in Florida, Dearborn police investigators forwarded a criminal complaint against Brady to the Wayne County prosecutor’s office, which subsequently approved the murder charge.
Somers presided over Brady’s two prior preliminary examinations, which he rescheduled for a competency evaluation and to include more evidence.
Somers ruled Dec. 14 that Brady is competent, according to published report.
Brady is being held without bond in the Wayne County Jail.
(Sherri Kolade can be reached at [email protected])