Sherry Kietrys
By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — James Lindsey, 40, was charged with first degree murder and habitual second offender for allegedly killing 34-year-old Taylor resident Sherry Kietrys whose body was found in Dearborn Sept. 20.
During the Sept. 23 arraignment, 19th District Court Judge Sam Salamey said the court will remand Lindsey to the Wayne County Jail and he shall not be released until further order of the court. Lindsey will return to court at 9 a.m. Oct. 4 for a probable cause conference.
According to court records, Lindsey served 19 years in prison from 1997 to 2016 after he was sentenced 10 to 20 years for criminal sexual conduct with a weapon.
Kietrys’ body was found at 7:45 a.m. Sept. 20 in a field along Paul Avenue and the Southfield Freeway on the border of Dearborn and Detroit.
Officers responded to the field on a report of an unresponsive woman, police said. First responders and Detroit Fire Department personnel immediately provided first aid to the woman who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives and crime scene investigators arrived at the scene to identify, gather evidence and search the area for potential witnesses. The Southfield Freeway northbound service drive exit at Paul was closed in the morning and the scene was taped off.
On Sept. 21, a vigil was held for the mother of two at the same location. Kietrys’ mother, Cecilia Cummins, started a Facebook fundraiser of $5,000 to raise money for funeral costs.
James Lindsey
As of Sept. 26, $5,007 was raised from 110 people.
“As some of you already know my daughter has passed,” Cummins wrote. “I don’t know the details of what happened yet but I’m going to need to raise money to have a decent burial service. I don’t ask anybody for anything but I desperately need help with this. I myself am (going) through hard financial times right now so any amount would not be too small and thank you in advance.”
Another fundraiser also was planned Sept. 27 at Knights of Columbus Gall, 4381 Larkins in Detroit.
In a press release put out by the Dearborn Police Department Chief Ronald Haddad said, “While we are grateful for the continued cooperation from the entire community for making this arrest, it angers me to know that the suspect in this case has a long history of assaultive behavior for which he had been previously incarcerated for 19 years.
“Our department and regional partners worked around the clock to bring the suspect to justice. This is a tragedy for the entire region; we extend our condolences to the friends and family of the victim.”
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])