Police are looking into a possible connection between the murders of a homeless man and woman, who died within a day of each other. NBC 6’s Niko Clemmons reports
Police are investigating the deaths of two homeless people who were shot and killed within a day of each other in Miami-Dade County.
City of Miami Police said Marie Noel died Monday near Northwest 17th Avenue at 28th Street in Allapattah. Residents said Noel lived in and frequented the area.
"She's very well known," said resident Nathalie Flietes. "Everyone who lives around here or commutes knows her. She is there night and day."
Residents said Noel did not bother anyone and called the area her spot.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
"This woman deserves to be recognized and we need to know what happened," Flietes said.
Just one day later, Miami-Dade Police said 61-year-old Bradley Griffith was shot and killed just a few blocks away, in the area of Northwest 38th Street and 22nd Avenue.
Local
It's unclear if the shootings are related, but Miami-Dade Police detectives said they are not discarding that possibility.
"How disgusting, how nauseating, horrific," Ron Book of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust said of the murders.
Book said he is looking into the cases with the state attorney and police.
"I'm not big on coincidences, I don't believe in pixie dust, so it is hard for me to believe at least initially that they are not related," Book said.
In December 2021, a suspected serial killer was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. Police said Willy Maceo targeted homeless people who were sleeping on the streets of Miami.
"These are people that are down on their luck, are situationally homeless, have mental health related issues, but they have family, too," Book said. "They have a mother, father, brothers and sisters and children. We have a responsibility to them just as anyone else in the community and maybe more so because of the level of vulnerability."
Both departments are working together to find the shooter or shooters responsible.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $7,000 in Monday's homicide and up to $5,000 in Tuesday's homicide.
