Domestic violence advocate remembered: Husband takes plea deal
Detroit domestic violence advocate remembered 1-year after murder
A year ago, on Jan 7, 2024, Kelly Ann Mays, a mother of two, was stabbed to death, 17 times, in her home in Westland. Her estranged husband, Jimmie Lee Brown, turned himself in to the police later that day. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office charged him with first-degree murder.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - It has been a year since a well-known advocate for survivors of domestic violence was stabbed and killed by her husband. On Friday, the man took a plea deal in court.
The backstory:
A year ago, on Jan 7, 2024, Kelly Ann Mays, a mother of two, was stabbed to death, 17 times, in her home in Westland. Her estranged husband, Jimmie Lee Brown, turned himself in to the police later that day.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office charged him with first-degree murder.
Dig deeper:
Meanwhile, the family wants to get the word out about how deadly domestic violence can be.
Not a day goes by when Ralph Mays isn’t thinking about his daughter Kelly, a beloved poet in Metro Detroit and advocate for survivors of domestic violence.
"She lived to help people. Like I said, she was a minister," Mays said. "She was a psychologist. Her life was around her children and her family. And she tried to do good in the community. She was always a listening ear for anybody that had problems. And a lot of people, I know at her funeral it was people coming up to me saying ‘your daughter saved my life.’"
The loss was devastating as Kelly’s mother died in January 2025, just days after the anniversary of Kelly's death.
"It just overwhelmed her. You know, that was her rock. They were really, really close. And they did everything together," Mays said.
What's next:
Friday, Brown entered a guilty plea on a second-degree murder charge, looking at 18-40 years behind bars. Mays didn’t attend the hearing, but Kelly's twin sister did.
"I asked her how does she feel and she says she’s okay with it. So, if she’s okay with it, I’m okay with it. Personally, I wish they'd give him life," Mays said.
He hopes others experiencing domestic violence will learn from her tragedy and talk to someone.
Brown will be sentenced on March 10. Meanwhile, Mays says he’ll be there while other relatives speak.
What you can do:
If anyone is experiencing domestic violence, please call 1-800-799-7233.
The Source: FOX 2 used information from previous stories.