Anyone with information about any of the unsolved homicides can call the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety at 269-337-8994 or contact Silent Observer at 269-343-2100 or www.kalamazoosilentobserver.com. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Unsolved homicides: They are what keep police up at night. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Investigators have since reclassified Widlaks case as an unsolved homicide, but they have had few leads. Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office According to Project: Cold Case, there were 42,650 homicides in Michigan between 1980 and 2019. For example, the Michigan State Polices website is home to a page dedicated to the unsolved murders in Michigan, providing the basic information and tip line for each crime. After more than one year of investigating weak leads, the authorities decided to arrest and charge Louis and his mistress after all. We are pretty sure we know who did it, but we cant prove it yet, Misner said. Victim:Christine Elaine Paddock, Location:East V Ave near Portage Rd, Agency: Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office. Since then, law enforcement has been able to solve roughly 16,973 of those murders, but they are still left with around 19,323 unsolved murders in Michigan alone. Brad Misner said. A jury has convicted two brothers of murder in the brutal slayings of a Clinton Township woman and her 11-year-old daughter in 2013. A father of two was shot and killed in his Detroit home 14 years ago. It appears that the number of murders in Ingham County, Michigan, has been rather stable throughout the years, with little dips every few years, based on these statistics. 8-28-95 After more than 20 years of marriage, however, the Thompsons began to drift apart. On April 16, 2009, a stranded motorist reported a possible body in the grassy area near the guard rail on the southbound US-131 Business Loop, just north of the Douglas Avenue exit. Despite multiple witnesses, police have been unable to make any arrests in the killing. A serial killer who pleaded guilty to killing a Battle Creek woman who has been missing since 2005 was sentenced to more years in prison. Some suggest that he might have been killed over a drug debt. NEW! Witnesses who were present at the shooting have continued to be uncooperative with police, Misner said. The local lore of Allegan County suggests that some hydrocephalic children were confined to the Junction Insane Asylum after World War II. Most unsolved cases get held up because witnesses do not cooperate, law enforcement does not have enough evidence to prove probable cause on a suspect or because there remains a grain of doubt as to who did it, Kalamazoo Public Safety Capt. On May 10, 1997, a man surveying a wooded area in Plymouth Township noticed a mouse scamper into a rolled-up carpet. Kalamazoo County Sheriff Rick Fuller would not divulge whether Wessel is suspected to be responsible for Frenchs death, but did say detectives are close to closing the book on the case. Additionally, some of the unsolved murders in Lansing, Michigan, which are included in the database and on other websites as well, include the 2014 murder of Richard Pruitt, the 2011 murder of Domingo Guartolo, the 1995 murder of Nicole Haynes, the 1981 murder of Edith Crossette, the 1979 murder of Karen Oatley, and the 1987 murder of Josephine Stebbins, among many others. Amazingly, the first autopsy had missed a bullet that was found in Widlaks neck. Finally, some unsolved murders in Ingham County, Michigan, include the 1970 murder of Laurie Murninghan, and the 1993 murder of Mary Jean DAgostino, among others. We follow up on any leads we get., Marlon Lamar Morgan was 36 when, according to witnesses, he was shot and killed in this alley behind North Burdick Street on Sunday, May 21, 2018. A Michigan man is facing felony charges in connection with two sexual assault cases that happened more than 20 years ago at golf courses in Oakland County and at Penn State University. KALAMAZOO, MI Of the 116 homicides that occurred in Kalamazoo County over the past decade, 15 remain unsolved by police. Jayme Vaughn Bryant would be 34 years old now. Noting that there were no signs of injuries on Widlaks body, the medical examiner concluded that Widlak had committed suicide. "We are looking at all angles, Ergang said. Before it could get any closer, Fortney shot the dog and then watched it run back into the woods. KALAMAZOO, MI - As it stands now, at least 25 people in the city of Kalamazoohave lost their lives at the hands of killers whostill remain at large. Interestingly, he might have had a military background. Although University of Michigan professors had offered the same theory days earlier, Hyneks hasty conclusion caused public outrage. In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) produces a Uniform Crime Report each year, which shows, in detail, the statistics of particular crimes, the crime rates, and the areas where crimes are frequently committed in most cities and counties, in every state in the United States. One of the men, George Kennedy, was apparently close with Nevaeh and had been nicknamed Daddy George. Kennedy lived in a motel near Nevaehs apartment, and his job involved working with concrete. Non-Emergency Dispatch: 269-488-8911, Sheriff: Richard C Fuller Known as 'Tommy' or 'Tom Tom' to those closest to him, Anders was an only child and a graduate of Gull Lake High School. WebAnyone with information on the Murder of Christine Paddock is asked to contact the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's office at 269-383-8723 or Silent Observer. He had just attended a boxing match, and a witness After hiring some detectives to follow her husband, Lydia discovered that Louis had been seeing a secretary named Helen Budnik. Jeannie Singleton, Ed Michigan homicides and true crime stories in Michigan may never come to an end, sadly, despite law enforcements best efforts of trying to catch up with the overwhelming number of cold cases in their state. WebWhere some of Michigan's biggest unsolved cases stand 18,590 views Mar 20, 2019 182 Dislike Share Save Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV 437K subscribers Local 4 is dedicated The family of a woman who was killed in Novi four years ago are working to bring more attention to her case. A 30-year-old Wyoming man was sentenced to prison in Michigan after pleading guilty to assaulting two teenagers in two separate incidents that occurred in Kalamazoo County a decade ago. On March 20, 1966, truck driver Frank Mannor saw a pyramid-like object land in a swamp near his farmhouse in Dexter Township. At least 75 murders that occurred in Lansing between 1963 and 2019 remain unsolved, according to a tally by the Lansing State Journal based on information provided by the Lansing Police Department. The body of a man was discovered on the north side of Belle Isle 11 years ago. ", Tiffany Renee Ayers was 39 when she was shot to death, Dante Johnson, who was acquitted of murder, dismissed the murder charge, as well as charges of attempted murder, 19 months old when he died inside the West Dunkley Street home, he was shot and killed in a double shooting in the citys West Douglas neighborhood, overnight house fire in the 4000 block of Grand Prairie Road, Kalamazoo resident Darkreese LaShawnt Gray, 23, was shot and killed in Kalamazoo Township, Antonio Dewayne Reese-Manley, 20, was shot and killed. Undersheriff: James Vandyken, Copyright and Disclaimer Administration: 269-383-8821 Police still dont know who kidnapped and murdered a 16-year-old girl from Flint 39 years ago. "We as the police can only do so much. On October 13, 1945, Lydia Thompsons headless body was discovered in a marsh near Pontiac, Michigan, by some mushroom pickers. As it stands now, at least 25 people in the city of Kalamazoo have lost their lives at the hands of killers that still remain at large. He had been shot execution style in the back of the head, and investigators discovered his missing gun in the area where his body was found. Although her mother, Jennifer, had told her to stay in the friends apartment, Nevaeh decided to ride her tricycle outside. In addition to the several famous Michigan murders are the numerous famous unsolved disappearances. Othram Inc. used a method called Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) and Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to help the Livingston County Cold Case Team bring closure to the family of Christina Lynn Castiglione. 5100 Block East "Y" Avenue We believe the more resources we can provide to digital volunteers and citizen solvers mean more citizen detective communities. We are going to do everything we can to make sure the right person is held accountable, because it does no one any good to put the wrong person in jail, Fuller said. Christine had an address in the City of Kalamazoo prior to her death. Police said DNA evidence has linked Kurt Alan Rillema, 51, to the sexual assault of a 22-year-old woman at an Oakland Township golf course in 1999. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. WebDetails: Joseph and Lois Krantz of Kalamazoo, Michigan, had been married for fourteen years and had two daughters. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The officers called for help and were eventually joined by 40 other policemen and some local volunteers. Although cold cases are continuously being solved, law enforcement continues to investigate the few unsolved murders in Lansing, Michigan, both recent and decades old. To raise awareness of Brucks disappearance, purple ribbons were hung across the town and one million missing person posters were distributed around the country. He still hasnt been identified. According to Kalamazoo Public Safety Capt. Brad Misner told MLive recently. The mystery of union big shot Jimmy Hoffas disappearance is arguably one of the most famous in the US. On October 26, 2014, 22-year-old Chelsea Bruck drove with a friend to a Halloween party in Frenchtown Township. This year marks 45 years since a 21-year-old man vanished in Ann Arbor. Black hair and brown eyes Gray was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that night. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. A person of interest was later arrested on unrelated charges, but police have not released the name of any suspects believed to have shot Anders, formerly of Battle Creek. Peggy lived in the city of Kalamazoo prior to the Homicide, and was last seen on 8/25/95 at 9:00 pm. When the surveyor lifted the carpet to try to catch the mouse, he stumbled upon a human skeleton on the ground beneath the carpet. Date: Erik had attended a party earlier in the morning and walked home to his residence. Anonymous tips can also be made through Silent Observer by calling 269-343-2100. The handsome Eastern Michigan University student was convicted of only one murder, the last one. Kalamazoo Public Safety Capt. After years of trying to make it as a singer, Converse gave up in 1961 and moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to be with her family. Brad Misner said the case remains open and active. WebMost Dangerous Places in Michigan The 10 Murder Capitals Of Michigan For 2021 1. In August 2015, there seemed to be a promising new lead when the authorities were notified about the 1991 murder of a man named Gustav Prilepok in nearby West Bloomfield Township. For a homicide case to be considered closed by police, the case is either actively being prosecuted, has already resulted in a murder conviction, was ruled a justifiable killing or if the suspected killer dies prior to the case being prosecuted. Gary Robert Selig, 71, died in an overnight house fire in the 4000 block of Grand Prairie Road in Kalamazoo Township. Crime At around 3:00 AM, Bruck was spotted walking outside with a dark-haired man who had a light mustache and wore black-framed glasses. Newborn twins were found dead near the side of the road in Shelby Township 56 years ago. Miraculously, Goiness two young children were found alive in the basement, either hidden there by their father or spared by the murderer. Sailors body was discovered in the kitchen. shot and killed while attending a party on Oakland Drive in Kalamazoo. She was reported missing the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety on September 25, 2003. Evidence at the scene indicated that the body was left at the Schoolcraft township location and that the homicide occurred at another location. In reality, however, the man was married and had concocted the confession to frighten away his girlfriend. They had named a person of interest within days of the deadly shooting and have interviewed many people since then, but no one has been charged in his death. This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. The party, which had been publicized on social media sites, attracted more than 700 people from Michigan and other states. Prosecutors initially charged Langston with murder in Walkers slaying, but later dismissed the murder charge, as well as charges of attempted murder and two counts of felony firearm after Langston identified Johnson as the shooter and Langstons version of events was corroborated by four other people. Police responded to the scene after a report of a shot fired at 12:35 a.m., and soon after learned Langston had been taken in a private vehicle to Bronson Methodist Hospital. When the police showed up at Goiness house in Highland Park, a small city within Detroit, they found that Goines had been shot to death in his living room. Christine Paddocks body was discovered at the edge of a farm field in Schoolcraft Township on April 22, 2004. Christine Paddock's body was discovered at the edge of a farm field in Schoolcraft Township on April 22, 2004. When Jennifer found out and went outside to fetch her daughter, Nevaeh didnt appear to be in the complex. Date: We have a murder warrant for him, its just a matter of finding him, Kalamazoo Public Safety Capt. In summer 1974, Converse suddenly packed up her things and left Michigan. No suspects have been arrested to date.Emil Lippe | MLive.com. Sign me up! Ayers, police said, was believed to be involved with an X-Train" that night, when she was hit by gunfire shortly before 3 a.m. She died six hours later at a nearby hospital. It has been 47 years since the first known victim of the Oakland County Child Killer was abducted and murdered. Allegedly, they can also be found in Ohio and Connecticut. While some believed that the couple was guilty, another theory suggested that Lydia might have been murdered by one of the many detectives whom she had hired to spy on her husband. You can easily find countlesstypesof serial killer lists, such as list of serial murderers in Michigan or Michigan serial killer list, which often include some of themost famous Michigan serial killers. It has been 28 years since DWan Sims, 4, was reported missing from the Wonderland Mall in Livonia. Seeslideshow of unsolved homicides in the Kalamazoo area, Michigan State Police unsolved homicides inSouthwest Michigan. Billie Jo Smith has been missing from Detroit for 17 years. In partnership with Michigan State Police, 5900 block East "Y" Avenue A man who served nearly 21 years of a life sentence for murder was freed from a Michigan prison last week after state authorities acknowledged that an Ohio serial killer was also a suspect in the case. Anyone with information on the murder of Peggy Jean Woods is asked to contact the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs office at 269-383-8723 or Silent Observer at Age 28 The students there were taunted by some locals as melon heads because the school was private. A man has been convicted of murder in the disappearance of a western Michigan man whose body has not been found after nearly 40 years. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Sarah Nicole Vitt was last seen by her boyfriend on Feb. 2, 2004, in the area of Bewick Street in Detroit. WebOn October 22, 1974, the authorities received an anonymous call that Goines and his common-law wife, Shirley Sailor, were dead. Her body was found in a nearby field nearly three weeks later. Lonelle Langston was 22 when he was shot and killed in a parking lot in the 500 block of South Burdick Street near Papa Petes and the Blue Dolphin. Despite reports of late-night visitors claiming to hear strange noises and see small silhouettes in the area, the Allegan County Historical Society has reported that Junction Insane Asylum never existed. Decomposing remains were found in a vacant home in Detroit two years ago and still have not been identified. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Cold case investigators in Livingston County have closed the nearly 40-year-old murder of Christina Lynn Castiglione. A baby was found dead on the front porch of a home in Detroit more than three decades ago. X-Trains are described as a pop-up caravan of up to 100 cars that parade throughout the city, driving up on sidewalks and taking up all lanes of the road late at night and in the early morning hours before dawn. A man who pleaded guilty to the murders of two women in Pennsylvania was extradited to Michigan to face a first-degree murder charge in the death of a Battle Creek woman who vanished in 2005. WebList of homicides in Michigan. A 7-year-old girl who vanished on her way to school in Flint has been missing for 64 years. There are several murder cases where investigators are able to gather enough Ingham County murders evidence and probable cause to arrest and charge their prime suspect with the crime, before taking them to Ingham County murders trial. This list includes notable No arrests have been made to date. Ron French, 71, had been missing from his Brady Township home for just over three weeks when his body was found in a field near Fulton. This one is similar to the Christopher Reece case in 2010 and we still have an active, open investigation, Kalamazoo Township Police Chief Bryan Ergrang said. After almost one month of searching, Widlaks decomposed body was found floating in a lake 6 kilometers (4 mi) away from his bank. Relatives accused the first coroner of a cover-up, but the coroner claimed that he had misread the X-ray results. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Responding officers located the body of what appeared to be an African-American. (Mark Bugnaski |Kalamazoo Gazette)Kalamazoo Gazette. A Michigan woman has been identified 43 years after her decomposing body washed up along Ohios Lake Erie shoreline near Cedar Point. With so many unfamiliar people at the Halloween party, disguised in costumes to boot, nobody could identify the mysterious man who had left with Bruck. Settling in Detroit, Louis achieved great success by running a car dealership. Ergang told MLive in December that the two incidents are both still under investigation, and no charges have been filed in either incident. Finally, in 1969, police caught a break and arrested John Norman Collins. Only her tricycle was found. We have a good lead on it, but its still in that investigative phase where we still need to put some things together, Misner said. Others that can often be found among the lists are unsolved murders Lansing, Michigan, which include the 2014 murder of Richard Pruitt, the 2011 murder of Domingo Guartolo, the 1995 murder of Nicole Haynes, the 1981 murder of Edith Crossette, the 1979 murder of Karen Oatley, and the 1987 murder of Josephine Stebbins, among many others. He scared off most of the pack with a warning shot from his gun. (Rebekah Welch | MLive.com)Kalamazoo Gazette. Agency: Thomas Anders was 21 years old when he was fatally shot at 2:15 a.m. in the 800 block of Oakland Drive following a late-night party near Western Michigan Universitys East Campus. Kalamazoo Public Safety Capt. Its believed that she was buried alive and died after suffocating on dirt. In 1987, a Traverse City radio DJ named Steve Cook released a ballad about the Dogman that increased the monsters popularity. If you have a cold case youd like us to look into, please let us know by using the form below. Man charged with 2 PA murders now person of interest in West MI cold case. Today, the homicide case remains open and active, according to Kalamazoo Public Safety Capt. CHAPTER 1: Never-before-published letters, interviews offer clues in infamous Michigan murders. Despite the many encounters and sightings over the years, no physical evidence has ever turned up to prove that the Dogman exists. Lansing, Michigan, murders appear to be more prevalent than in some of the smaller cities in Michigan, most likely due to Lansings relatively large and growing size and population. After talking with the witness and receiving numerous other anonymous tips that identified Williams-Hopkins as the man who shot Swinney, Williams-Hopkins, 29, was charged one year later with open murder. While there was little evidence to convict Louis and Helen, an apparent breakthrough came when a woman came forward and said that her boyfriend had confessed to Lydias murder.