Help breaking lease

[John Nail]

I live in an apartment building where someone was murdered last month and they haven't caught the guy (or woman) that did it. I need to break the lease but according to the agreement, I would need to pay $975 plus an additional $106 for each month I stayed there since I can't stay the full 12 month term. My wife has been having problems sleeping since this happened and we just need help to move out otherwise it'll end up costing us over $2,000 to just move and still keep my name on credit. It's in Grand Rapids, MI, Kent county.

Thanks

[Robert Goodspeed]

Some years ago, we were able to get out of a lease because there had been a break-in. Check with the government agency in your state that regulates landlord tenant issues. A murder would definitely qualify as a threat, I would think.