On a Sunday in late autumn, the life of a young Detroit man was cut short by violence, leaving a case that has remained unsolved for more than a decade. Kendall Skinner, a 20-year-old Black male, was killed on November 14, 2010. The incident took place at a residence located at 6640 May Street, on the city's east side. Police were called to the home, where they discovered Kendall, the victim of a homicide. Beyond these essential facts, the public record falls silent, offering no details about who Kendall was as a person—his family, his passions, his dreams for the future—or the specific circumstances that led to his death.
The address on May Street places the crime in the Poletown East neighborhood, an area with a deep and complex history. Once a vibrant, working-class community and the heart of Detroit's Polish immigrant population, the neighborhood underwent a traumatic transformation in the 1980s. A significant portion of the area, including thousands of homes, businesses, and churches, was demolished to make way for a new General Motors assembly plant. While the project promised economic revitalization, the neighborhood that remained was left fractured. By 2010, Poletown East, like many parts of Detroit, was grappling with the consequences of deindustrialization, population loss, and economic distress.
The year 2010 was a particularly challenging time for the city of Detroit. Still reeling from the 2008 financial crisis and the subsequent bankruptcies of major automakers, the city faced staggering unemployment and a severe housing crisis. Entire neighborhoods were marked by vacant lots and abandoned properties. Against this backdrop of economic hardship, violent crime remained a persistent threat to residents. While the city's homicide total for 2010, which stood at 308, was the lowest it had been in decades, it was still a stark number, representing hundreds of lives lost and families shattered. Kendall Skinner’s death was one of several that occurred on that same day in the city.
The investigation into Kendall Skinner’s murder was handled by the Detroit Police Department. In the immediate aftermath, detectives would have processed the scene for evidence, interviewed potential witnesses, and sought to piece together the events of that November day. However, no information regarding a motive, potential suspects, or persons of interest was ever released to the public. The trail appears to have gone cold, with no arrests made and no charges filed in the years since the killing.
For the family and loved ones of Kendall Skinner, the lack of answers has meant a prolonged and painful wait for justice. The silence surrounding the case is a heavy burden, compounding the grief of their loss. Without new information, a case like Kendall's becomes a cold case, filed away until a new lead, a witness coming forward, or a technological advancement in forensic science can provide a path forward.
As of today, the murder of Kendall Skinner remains an open and unsolved homicide investigation within the Detroit Police Department's cold case files. The identity of the person or persons responsible for his death is still unknown. The passage of time has not diminished the need for closure for his family or the community's desire for justice. Authorities continue to rely on the possibility that someone, somewhere, holds the key piece of information that could finally solve this tragic case and bring a measure of peace to those who have mourned Kendall for so long.
