Late last fall Sault Ste Marie PD received a delayed missing person’s complaint. Sault PD and Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office received information and followed the evidence to a remote location north of Paradise MI, in Chippewa County.
The subject’s vehicle was located stuck and out of view off a two-track road. It was found that the person had most likely been missing for approximately a month.
CCSO and SPD immediately started a ground search of the area and flew a CCSO drone. Unfortunately, there was already a layer of snow in the area and within a short time winter hit and the location was no longer accessible.
The past several months our agencies have been planning a spring search.
Our S&R team put together a comprehensive map including many search zones within our search area.
The location we were planning to search included an area of approximately 1000 acres. This search area was located on state land and surrounded by several thousand more acres of state land which included ridges, swamp lands and ponds.
We started the search by using the MSP aviation unit last week as they flew a helicopter and a drone to search the area from above.
Over this past weekend 4 k-9 (HRD) Cadaver teams, to search the area prior to the ground search.
This past Monday (May 18th) our large-scale ground search started, involving many of our law enforcement partners. Approximately 35 Law Enforcement and search and rescue members were involved. A command center was established, and a briefing was conducted early Monday morning. The ground search started shortly after. Bmpd K-9 and MSP K-9 units assisted both Monday and Tuesday.
Monday resulted in the finding of some crucial evidence which was located deep into the wooded area.
The ground search continued early Tuesday morning.
Tuesday resulted in the discovery of human remains which were also located deep into the wooded area.
We requested the MSP crime lab, and they responded to the scene. The Northern Michigan University (NMU) Frost Anthropology unit was also called to assist.
The search continued Wednesday and by the evening all resources were cleared of the area.
We are waiting for forensic confirmation on the identity of the victim.
The following agencies assisted in the week-long search:
– Sault Ste Marie PD
– Chippewa Co Sheriff’s Office
– MSP, Aviation, K-9, Crime lab
– Bay Mills Tribal PD
– Trident
– MI DNR
– U.S. Border Patrol
– U.S. Custom and Border Protection (CBP)
– USFS LE
– MI SAR
– NMU FROST
– Chippewa County Central Dispatch and Emergency Management
A huge thank you to all of them and our Victim Services Unit (VSU) who supplied our searchers with food during the ground search.
This case is still open pending further investigation.
Michael D. Bitnar, Sheriff
Chippewa Co Sheriff Dept
Wes Bierling, Chief
Sault Ste Marie PD
