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Crime & Safety

Family of Dearborn Woman Murdered in 1991 'In Shock' Over Florida Man's Confession

A trial date has been set for Kelly Michael Brady, who confessed in May to the murder of Gracielita Flores.

It's been two decades since Yolanda Vazquez heard the horrible news that her mother, Gracielita Flores, was murdered while working at the ACCESS community center in south Dearborn.

Standing outside the Wednesday just after a trial was set for , Vazquez admitted that the pain has never subsided.

"This has brought back a lot of the past, and you cry and all those emotions come back," she said, standing along side three of her four siblings—all Flores's children. "We learn to cope with it, but I don't think you ever heal."

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But at least Vazquez and her brothers and sisters may be coming closer to some semblance of closure.

According to Dearborn police, Flores was cleaning the community center on July 12, 1991, when she was attacked and killed. Detectives conducted an investigation at that time, but no arrests were made and the case went cold.

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Vazquez and her siblings, all of whom still live in southeast Michigan, would periodically call the Dearborn Police Department "to see if the case was still open."

It was, but no new leads in the homicide came up—until May of this year, when an unexpected confession came in at the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Department in Florida.

Kelly Michael Brady, 45, turned himself in for the 1991 murder of Flores.

Brady was extradited to Michigan earlier this month, and on Wednesday, Dearborn judge William Hultgren set his preliminary examination for Friday, June 22, for first degree murder (premeditated); and two counts of felony murder.

Vazquez said that she and her siblings are not making any judgments at this time about Brady's guilt.

"We're still numb and in shock," she said. "We were always hoping someone would be brought to justice."

"At this point, he's a suspect."

Brady said very little during his arraignment, and no mention of his previous confession was made.

For the children of Flores, right now it's just about waiting, and remembering their mother, whom Vazquez described as nice to everyone, and very wise.

"She was a giving person inside and out," Vazquez said, adding that it's comforting to hear the community's kind words about Flores.

"It's very nice," she said. "When they had her service, it was amazing to see how many lives she has touched."

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