Abreeya Brown and Ashley Conaway: Bodies of 2 women found buried in shallow grave

Mike Gallagher

Mar 26, 2012 - 13:40

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Abreeya Brown and Ashley Conaway: Bodies of 2 women found buried in shallow grave

Detroit police believe they have found the bodies of Abreeya Brown (left) and Ashley Conaway, who were abducted Feb. 28 by two armed men

Two bodies found in shallow grave near the Rouge River in Detroit are believed to be those of two women who were abducted last month.

Armed men kidnapped Ashley Conaway, 22, and Abreeya Brown, 18, in Hamtramck, Illinois on Feb. 28 and forced them into a car trunk, police records show.

Charles McGinnis, Brown's stepfather, told Detroit police he exchanged gunfire with the women's captors before they drove away.

Relatives added that one of the women was able to send texts messages momentarily from the car's trunk. But the women were not heard from again.

On Sunday a bued-out car that police believe was used in the abduction was found close to the bodies, reported WDIV-TV.

'We have unearthed from a shallow grave the bodies of two females who fit the description of the two young ladies we've been looking for,' said Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee.

Conaway's former boyfriend, Brandon Cain, 26, and Brian Lee, 24, were detained on Feb. 8 on attempted murder charges for a shooting involving the missing women.

Cain also faces charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and felonious assault.

But police say the two men, who are being held in the Wayne County Jail on $500,000 cash bond, have not been charged in the women's disappearance.

Conaway dated Cain but ended the relationship, according to WDIV-TV. Cain apparently offered the women $5,000 not to go to police but were kidnapped when they refused, added the TV station.

Cain and Lee are expected in district court Friday for a preliminary examination.

Meanwhile, Brown's grandmother, 84-year-old Joyce Watson, said police called her Sunday to notify her that the two bodies had been found.

Joyce told the Detroit Free Press that Brown's mother was devastated.

'It's hard. But she wasn't too surprised,' Watson said, referring to Louis Brown.

'She just wanted closure. She knew they couldn't live this long,' added Watson.