On the evening of February 8th, Young claimed to be ill during a business dinner. He returned to his hotel room and claimed he passed out and did not wake up until approximately 3a.m.. It was when he called home at 3 a.m. and spoke with his brother, that he learned that his ex-wife Terri and teenage son Emmanuel had been shot. He was informed that his ex-wife had died and although his son had survived, he was on life support.
Young immediately left Illinois and drove home to Detroit. At the hospital, Young ordered that his son be removed from life support. Young was allowed to sign the form to have life support disconnected for Emmanuel, who died shortly after life support was removed.
On February 9th, Firefighter Young confessed to killing his wife and teenage son. According to Young, after excusing himself from the business dinner on Saturday evening, he did not return to his room. Instead he drove to Detroit and arrived at approximately 9:30pm. From a phone booth, Young called his wife to meet him in Detroit. When his wife and son arrived, he shot and killed them both. He flattened one of the tires on his wife's car and threw the contents of her purse around to make it appear as though his wife and son were robbed and killed after their car broke down. Young then drove back to Bolingbrook Illinois.
During his confession, Young claimed to police that he had killed his family, "To be free..."
Young was convicted by a jury of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony- firearm in the shooting deaths of his wife Terri and son Emmanuel.
In November 1998, Young was sentenced to concurrent terms of life imprisonment and to consecutive two-year terms for felony firearm.
1 CHARGED IN DEATHS OF WIFE, SON
South Bend Tribune (IN)
February 12, 1997
Detroit - A former Detroit firefighter was charged with killing his wife and teen-age son.
Ardra Young, 34, was arraigned Monday on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Terri Young, 34, and Emmanuel Young, 14.
Young arranged a meeting Saturday evening with his wife of 14 years at a park near their home in Wayne County's Redford Township, police said. Terri Young insisted that Emmanuel accompany them to the park - where Ardra Young allegedly shot them both.
Young returned to his home, washed his bloodstained clothes and drove to the home of a female acquaintance in Illinois, investigators said. He returned to Detroit early Sunday, ordering doctors at Grace Hospital to turn off his son's life-support system, police said.
Young then went to Detroit police headquarters, where investigators said he described his role in the shootings.
Young, a firefighter for seven years, resigned Monday. He is jailed without bond.
Hate letters stir Detroit Fire Dept.
Newswire - UPI (USA)
January 30, 1998
The Detroit Fire Department is on edge while the FBI investigates hate letters that claim white firefighters are ready to kill black colleagues and their families. Fire Commissioner James Bush says he's taking the threats from an unknown group called the White Fire Fighters Association 'very, very seriously.'
However, Bush is declining comment about one letter that allegedly ties the mysterious group to the shooting deaths of a black firefighter's wife and son last year. The firefighter, Ardra Young, was later dismissed and convicted on two murder counts, for which he's now serving life in prison. The letter's claim that the killings were racially motivated to punish Young has prompted his lawyer to plan an appeal. In an interview with UPI today, Bush implied that one distraught firefighter may be responsible for the letters threatening harm to any black firefighters who harass whites. At least four letters were sent in recent weeks to fire officials and the mayor's office. Bush says, 'We're a family here and when there's a member who needs guidance we all try to help.' About two-thirds of the city's 1,400 firefighters are black. Bush says the department's blacks and whites 'have a good relationship. We work very well together.' The FBI is working with Detroit police on the investigation. There've been no arrests. ---
January 05, 1998:
Ardra Young filed an appeal on his conviction for his wife's and son's murders. On March 14, 2000, Young's conviction was confirmed.
March 14, 2000:
Michigan Court Of Appeals Affirmed Ardra Young's conviction
November 14, 2004:
March 15, 2001
Ardra Young filed a Petition For Writ Of Habeas Corpus with the Michigan US District Court
November 14, 2004:
Michigan US District Court denied Ardra Young's Petition For Writ Of Habeas Corpus
January 24, 2018:
Ardra Young filed a delayed application for leave to appeal, which was denied
September 12, 2018:
Ardra Young's Application For Leave To Appeal the Court Of Appeals' January 2018 order was denied
