Mother hopes for leads in son’s death

ROSEVILLE — According to Deborah Desmarais, her son, Lawrence Faller, was a person known in the Roseville neighborhood where he’d often stay. He could often be seen on his green mountain bike in the area.

“Two-mile radius, a square,” she said of where he’d ride his bike.

Five years ago, on a rainy night in a parking lot at 17040 11 Mile Road, near Groveland Street, Faller was shot. He called 911 and was taken to the hospital, but he died from the wounds March 18, 2019. He was 31, just days shy of his 32nd birthday on March 23.

“Every time I talk about it, it’s like it happens just now,” Desmarais said. “It is unsolved and that’s what bothers me the most. They got away with doing this.”

Faller worked at Bosco’s Pizza, owned by Tyson Foods, off Dequindre Road near 10 Mile Road in Warren.

“Lawrence went to work every day — every day,” his mother said.

While Faller lived in Sterling Heights with his mother, he often spent time with his grandfather in Roseville. Faller had roots in Roseville, growing up on Leroy Street. He would often go to his grandfather’s to help care for his grandmother, who had Parkinson’s disease.

“He was a very pleasant kid,” Desmarais said. “He talked to a lot of people. He would help anybody.”

Lawrence Faller had a brother named Nicholas. Lawrence was named after his dad. Faller’s mother said her son struggled with alcohol and he had tried to go to rehab in the past. Desmarais said that he would often ride his bike because he didn’t trust himself behind the wheel of a car.

“My kid had a problem, but he didn’t deserve to have anyone shoot him over it,” Desmarais said.

Prior to his death, Desmarais said, Faller had been drinking for three days straight. He called her the night before and said he was having trouble sleeping.

“I told him to take himself to the hospital,” Desmarais said. “Well, instead of taking himself to the hospital, somewhere in Roseville he met someone who had what he needed to sleep.”

There are currently no updates in the case, according to Roseville police.

“This isn’t a closed case,” Roseville Detective Sgt. Anthony Coraci said. “We’re still periodically reaching out to people and looking into new leads. But, so far, nothing has come to fruition at this point. This is still an active and ongoing investigation.”

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $2,500 for any information that leads to an arrest. Those who have information regarding this crime can make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP or visit the website www.1800speakup.org.