MUSKEGON, Mich. — The man accused of murdering two women in Muskegon Heights on Monday allegedly recorded himself committing the crimes.
WATCH: 'Part of this was videotaped': Suspect recorded murders of two women in Muskegon Heights
Deangelo Aubrey was arraigned Thursday on two separate counts of open murder for the deaths of Sasha' Spears and Shelenthia Willis. The 42-year-old had romantic relationships with both women, according to police.
"These were people that he knew, that he had a relationship with, and so certainly there was something that put this whole thing in motion for him, and unfortunately, it's at the cost of two young women's lives," said Muskegon County Prosecutor DJ Hilson.
Matt Roberts, Chief Trial Attorney with the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office, adds, "The only acceptable outcome to us moving forward will be to seek a first degree murder conviction on each of these two counts, so that life without parole is the only sentence available to the judge."
During Thursday's arraignment hearing, the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office told the judge Aubrey took videos showing and admitting to the crimes, detailing there was a third woman he was planning to go after.
She was also a former romantic flame, according to Roberts.
"Part of this was videotaped by the defendant," Roberts said. "The level of brutality here involved is really just shocking, exhibited to both of these women, and just tragic, tragic circumstances."
"The videos are very short in nature," continued Roberts. "So there's not a lot of detail there. Questions about motive and things like that are part of the investigation as it's going on, and that will be something that ultimately we believe we would be able to present to court."
Evidence collected so far points to Aubrey using multiple weapons, but no guns, in the assaults, according to Roberts.
"Our focus here is going to be making sure that this is an individual who never sees the light of day again, who spends every moment of the rest of his life incarcerated for what he has done to these women," Roberts said.
Aubrey was arrested just before midnight on Monday, more than nine hours after Sasha' Spears was found dead in her home on Hoyt Street by her sister. Around 10 p.m. that night, a second woman, now identified through court records as Shelenthia Willis, was found dead in a vehicle near 6th Street and Delano Avenue.
Two hours later, police arrested Aubrey outside the Walgreens on Apple Avenue and Quarterline Road in Muskegon Township.
"Instead of him meeting somebody who he thought was going to give him some money to get out of town, he met law enforcement in handcuffs," said Muskegon County Prosecutor DJ Hilson.
Aubrey was on parole for a sentence tied to a 2020 assault at the time of the murders, per online records. He served approximately fours years of a 14-year maximum sentence before parole was granted. He also spent time in prison for an armed robbery case from 2000.
The decision to place Aubrey on parole is not something local law enforcement offices have any say in, Roberts told FOX 17.
"In this case we were able to achieve what we thought was a very strong sentence, a minimum sentence for him to achieve for this type of offense, but unfortunately the parole board felt that it was time for him to be released and now we're left to deal with the tragic fallout of those decisions," said Roberts.
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The prosecutor's office met with the families of both women before Wednesday's arraignment to explain what the legal process would look like.
"What we've told the family is our focus here is going to be making sure that this is an individual who never sees the light of day again, who spends every moment of the rest of his life incarcerated for what he has done to these women," said Roberts.
Roberts and Hilson both tell FOX 17 that although nothing can bring these women back, they're committed to seeking justice.
"True justice would be going back 48 or 72 hours, and getting these women into a situation where they don't have these encounters in the first place, but we don't live in that world," said Roberts.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Aubrey would face a mandatory life sentence without the chance of parole.
On Wednesday the judge ruled Aubrey will be held without bond.
