An Isabella County father and his young son were found dead in a tragic murder-suicide case, law enforcement officials report. According to the Isabella County Sheriff's Office, the bodies of 6-year-old Rowan Milford Morey and 48-year-old Michael Steven Winchell were discovered inside a camper on the father's property.
The grim discovery followed reports that the child, who had been due to return to his mother as part of a custody agreement, had not been brought back. The initial investigation by the sheriff's office believes that the father took his son's life, before taking his own. The search for the pair began on August 19, when the mother's complaint was first received. Despite efforts by law enforcement to locate them, their whereabouts remained unknown until the tragic scene was uncovered yesterday according to MLive.
Details of the investigation shared by ABC 12 include that family members searching the father's property in Isabella County were the ones who made the heartbreaking find. They broke a window of the camper after not being able to get a hold of Winchell, prompting the subsequent discovery.
As the mother and stepfather process their indescribable loss, they share a statement expressing their devastation, "Our hearts are broken, and we can't comprehend how to move on from this." and thanked their community, "We will take time to grieve but ask the community for their continued help and ask you to join us in demanding more to protect our children,” as cited in ABC 12's reporting.
Authorities continue to examine the circumstances leading up to the unwelcome deaths. More details are expected to be released following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.
