MIAMI — The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said Thursday that a suspect wanted in connection with the slayings of two Miami-Dade homeless people earlier this year has been arrested and is facing multiple charges.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade Police Department Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III, and City of Miami Police Chief Manuel A. Morales announced the arrest of Kenneth Allen Bent, of 30 years, at the end of a lengthy joint police operation and investigation aimed at solving the January 2023 killings of Marie Noel, 60, and Bradley Griffith, 61.
Kenneth Allen Bent is being charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony in possession of a firearm, the prosecutor’s office said in a press release.
The first murder occurred in the early hours of January 9 near Northwest 17th Avenue and 28th Street in the Allapattah area.
The woman was found shot in a grassed area, Miami police officials said last month.
A day later, on January 10, Miami-Dade police said 61-year-old Bradley Griffith was shot a few blocks away in the area of Northwest 28th Street and 22nd Avenue.
Police said Griffith was not a burglary victim and appeared to have been sleeping underneath. a tree.
“There was no reason why someone would do something like that to him,” Miami-Dade Police Detective Melanie Ginoris said.
Police had released surveillance video in May showing the man authorities say is responsible for the two murders.
“We were able to determine that they are related, based on the Shot Spotters information we received from both scenes,” Ginoris said.
ATTACKS ON THE HOMELESS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED
“To some people, the homeless appear to be easy targets for attack or abuse,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “In Miami-Dade County, this will never be tolerated. The collaborative police-prosecutor investigation that led to today’s arrest removed the accused killer’s invisibility mask and replaced it with a criminal court case number. I applaud the hard work of the Miami-Dade Police Department, the City of Miami Police, and the members of my Gun Violence Initiative team who worked long and hard to identify this suspected killer and bring him to justice.” .
“I am proud of the diligent work of our Homicide detectives, who were able to apprehend the suspect responsible for the heinous murders of two members of our community,” said Alfredo Ramírez, director of the Miami-Dade Police Department.
“Since January 9, 2023, the City of Miami and Miami-Dade Police Departments have been tirelessly investigating the ruthless murders of Marie Noel and Bradley Griffith, two homeless members of our community who were senselessly murdered,” stated Miami Police Chief Manuel A. Morales.
“Once again, our community has joined with law enforcement and prosecutors to send a clear message that violence directed against the most vulnerable members of our community is not tolerated and that those who carry it out will be prosecuted.” before the courts,” he added.
A $9,500 reward had been offered in this case, but no details were provided if any Good Samaritans were paid to provide information.
