Family and friends of Brandon D’Annunzio were in East Lansing on Wednesday to distribute reward posters and modified sketches of two people wanted for questioning in the Livonia resident’s death.
D’Annunzio’s mother, Shawn Newstead, and grandmother, Betty Smith, worked city sidewalks with his friend, Jennifer Bradley, to distribute the new materials.
Newstead, of Livonia, became publicly involved in the investigation of her son’s death when she began to worry the case was growing stagnant.
“Things just weren’t being taken care of properly,” Newstead said.
Investigations into an Oct. 1 assault that led to D’Annunzio’s death are ongoing in East Lansing and near the Ferris State University and Northwestern University areas, but police have not received a break in the case.
The investigation expanded to Northwestern because the assault occurred the night of the MSU vs. Northwestern football game, and to Ferris State because a man wanted for questioning may have been wearing a Ferris State shirt.
“This is a personal family plea for more information,” Newstead said. “My family needs some closure, we all do, and this is the only way to get it.
“I’m just trying to get the word out there and maybe bring in some more leads.”
D’Annunzio, a Michigan Technological University student, was in East Lansing Oct. 1 for a friend’s bachelor party at BW-3, 220 M.A.C. Ave. He had been involved in an argument with a female early in the evening while waiting in line at The Riviera Café Restaurant & Lounge, 231 M.A.C. Ave., police said.
Later, he was separated from his group outside BW-3 and became ill when a group of five men and two women approached him. One of the men assaulted him, a witness told police.
Two sketches - of a man and a woman - were redrawn Tuesday afternoon on Newstead’s request. She heard about a composite artist gaining national media attention for his above-average talent and thought better sketches might help jog people’s memories.
Police tried to bring in the artist, but were unsuccessful because of that attention, East Lansing police Capt. Juli Liebler said. But the department decided to have a different composite artist draw new sketches anyway.
“When you get that kind of coverage it makes you more in demand and he was just too busy,” she said. “It’s not that the old drawings were bad, but that we’re trying something new.”
The man is described as white, about 20 to 23 years old, 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall and between 190 and 200 pounds. He has light brown or blond hair and was last seen wearing a black leather jacket, blue jeans and an orange shirt.
The woman is described as white, about 5 feet 3 inches tall and 120 pounds with long dark brown hair. She was last seen wearing a gray long-sleeved MSU T-shirt with a bright orange baseball-style hat or visor.
A second man wanted for questioning is described as dark-complexioned and in his early 20s, about 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall and between 180 and 190 pounds. He has dark brown hair and eyes and may have been wearing a Ferris State shirt.
Both police and D’Annunzio’s family and friends hope these new drawings and the addition of a reward poster with a new picture of Brandon will draw in more tips.
“We are continuing to follow up on the leads in this case but it hasn’t led to anything fruitful at this point,” Liebler said.
D’Annunzio was in a medically induced coma for three days before being taken off life support Oct. 11.
Bradley, who had intended for D’Annunzio to be in her wedding the weekend after the assault, plans to begin hanging the updated posters around East Lansing and Lansing today.
“The worst part about all of this is I remember the day before Brandon was coming down for the bachelor party when I was at (my then-fiancé) John’s,” she said. “He called to get directions and they were both so excited to see each other. It’s horrible.
“We just got back from our honeymoon to Hawaii. I’m supposed to be a blushing bride, happy newlyweds, but we spent the whole 12-hour plane trip listening to songs that reminded us of him and crying.”
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the East Lansing Police Department at 337-2599 or the tip line at 1-877-ELPD-TIP.
Sara Luneburg can be reached at lunebur1@msu.edu.
