Troopers say the scattered remains, discovered over two days, appear to be from one person.
OTSEGO TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Michigan State Police widened a backyard search Friday behind a vacant home along M-89 near 106th Avenue, finding additional human remains a day after the first discovery during a welfare check. Detectives said they are investigating a possible homicide.
Troopers were called to the property Thursday evening to check on a person who had been staying in a camper and had not been seen for weeks. Instead, investigators found human remains in the yard and secured the area through the night. On Friday morning, K-9 units, forensic technicians and detectives returned and located more remains. Police said the remains were decomposed and believed to be from a single individual. The Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine is handling the autopsy and identification. Officials said the home’s owner was not living there and had permitted someone else to stay on the property.
Detective Sgt. Bryan Fuller said troopers were initially on scene for a welfare check when they “discovered human remains in the backyard” and then expanded the search at first light. Fuller said the person reported missing had last been seen three to four weeks earlier. The MSP Grand Rapids lab processed evidence collected at the scene, and university anthropologists were requested to assist with excavation and documentation due to the condition of the remains. Investigators marked grids across the yard and examined nearby outbuildings and fence lines for additional material and personal effects.
Authorities placed the address in the 600 block of Lincoln Road, a stretch of M-89 that cuts across Otsego Township in Allegan County. MSP said they have not confirmed whether the remains are the same person associated with the camper and did not release any name or age. No arrests had been announced as of Sunday. Detectives said the advanced state of decomposition made on-site identification impossible, and laboratory DNA work may be necessary. Police also noted they were gathering recent missing-person reports and checking whether any cameras along M-89 captured traffic in the days before the discovery.
Area residents described a heavy police presence Thursday night, with cruisers, a mobile lab and K-9 teams moving in and out of the driveway while tape ringed the yard. On Friday, neighbors saw investigators using rakes and poles to probe leaf litter and setting small numbered flags. A tow truck removed a camper from the property in the afternoon as troopers continued to search tree lines and a drainage ditch behind the house. Several neighbors said they had not noticed activity at the home in recent weeks other than the camper parked off the drive.
Police said the autopsy was scheduled to start Friday, with preliminary findings expected to guide the next steps of the investigation. Detectives anticipated executing additional search warrants tied to the property and any vehicles towed from the scene. Officials said they plan to brief the public once the remains are identified and family members are notified. Further canvassing along M-89 is expected early this week, including outreach to nearby businesses and properties for possible video or witness accounts.
As of late Sunday, investigators said the scene work had concluded and remaining analysis had shifted to the medical examiner and state crime lab. The next update is expected after identification and initial autopsy results are complete.
Author note: Last updated November 16, 2025.