A Genesee County man has been formally charged in the May 17, 2024 shooting that killed retired Bay City teacher John R. Strachan, 80. Authorities say Strachan was shot on Interstate 75 near the Holland Road exit in Buena Vista Township.
Prosecutors have charged Bryce D. Rowley with open murder and several weapons offenses, including two counts of felony firearm, carrying a concealed weapon and discharging a firearm from a vehicle, according to MLive. Prosecutors say the charges follow a mix of video footage and cellphone data that investigators contend connect Rowley to Strachan shortly before the fatal gunfire.
Rowley was taken into custody yesterday in Swartz Creek by the Michigan State Police. He appeared for arraignment on April 8 in Saginaw County District Court, where Judge Terry L. Clark denied bond. The judge scheduled a preliminary examination for April 22 to determine whether the case will be sent to circuit court for trial; the Saginaw County District Court lists Clark among its sitting judges.
Investigation Details
Prosecutors wrote that Rowley was captured on camera with Strachan shortly before the shooting and that cellphone analysis likewise placed the two together, as reported by MLive. Michigan State Police Lt. Kim Vetter credited detectives for what the agency called a "thorough investigation," according to law enforcement statements.
Related Case History
Rowley had previously been charged in the October 2, 2024 killing of John A. Harris at the Birch Park Apartments in Saginaw. That case was dismissed after a preliminary examination in April 2025, when the district judge declined to bind the charges over to the circuit court, and prosecutors did not move forward.
Charges and Next Steps
The open-murder charge and accompanying weapons counts require a preliminary examination to establish probable cause before prosecutors can proceed in circuit court. Rowley is scheduled to return to court for that hearing on April 22; until and unless the court finds sufficient evidence and a jury returns a verdict, he remains presumed innocent under the law.
