One of Detroit’s Most Brutal Cold Cases: The Hazelwood Street Massacre

In the early hours of June 14, 1971, Detroit police responded to a horrific scene that would go down in history as one of the city’s most chilling mass killings. The call came from both a concerned neighbor and a woman who had rushed her husband to the hospital after he was shot in their home on Hazelwood Street. Upon arriving at the three-story brick house at 1970 Hazelwood, officers discovered a gruesome scene inside: seven bodies, executed in cold blood. The victims, ranging in age from 18 to 27, had been shot in the head at close range using multiple firearms. Among them was Robert Gardner, a notorious heroin dealer and pimp who had made numerous enemies across Detroit. Gardner himself had been shot multiple times in the mouth, chest, and stomach but survived for six more days before succumbing to his injuries. The carnage was a clear message, and the question remained: who was behind the massacre?

A Deadly Retaliation Over Fake Heroin

As investigators combed through the evidence, they found multiple handguns, a shotgun, and drug paraphernalia scattered across the house. What stood out, however, was the heroin— it wasn’t real. Gardner had been selling fake heroin to drug dealers, a betrayal that would cost him and others their lives. Word spread quickly that the massacre was a hit on Gardner, a warning to anyone who crossed the wrong people in the drug trade. Three people managed to escape the house by jumping out of a window, later providing critical information to authorities. According to witness statements, four men were seen fleeing the scene right after the gunfire rang out. The theory quickly gained traction: Gardner’s deception had caught up with him, and the others were killed simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. This wasn’t just a robbery gone wrong; it was a brutal act of retaliation.

The Ties That Bind: More Bloodshed to Come

Just days after the massacre, the body count continued to rise. On June 18, 1971, Gerald Williams, another heroin dealer with ties to Gardner, was shot six times at a Detroit motel. Williams had been replaced by Gardner as a connection for Toronto-based drug dealers, but he allegedly remained in contact with them. It’s believed that Williams set Gardner up, which led to the tragic events that unfolded on Hazelwood Street. Police soon learned that Gardner had received a phone call on June 11 from someone in New York City, calling him back to Detroit for a “big deal.” Investigators speculated that this phone call may have been a trap, a setup that led to Gardner’s ultimate demise. Word was already circulating in New York that a price had been placed on Gardner’s head, signaling that the fake heroin scam had pushed him to the edge of danger.

A Massacre That Remains Unsolved

By the end of that fateful summer day in 1971, eight lives had been lost in a massacre that shocked Detroit to its core. Despite countless leads and theories, no arrests were ever made, and the case remains unsolved to this day. The Hazelwood Massacre is remembered as one of the city’s most brutal and cold-blooded killings, a haunting reminder of the violent underworld that existed within Detroit’s drug trade. As the years pass, the case remains open, but the families of the victims and the city of Detroit still await justice. Anyone with information on the Hazelwood Massacre is encouraged to contact Detroit Crime Stoppers at 800-773-2587.