K-9 teams returned Friday and located more remains in a backyard off M-89 near 106th Avenue.
OTSEGO TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Michigan State Police recovered additional human remains Friday behind a vacant home in Otsego Township, one day after troopers first located remains during a welfare check near M-89 and 106th Avenue. Detectives said the case is being investigated as a possible homicide.
State police said troopers initially went to the property Thursday evening to check on a person reported missing who had been staying in a camper on the site. Investigators found remains in the backyard and secured the scene overnight. On Friday morning, detectives and K-9 units searched again and found more remains. The remains appear to belong to one person and were in a decomposed state, according to police. The Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine will perform an autopsy to identify the person and determine a cause and manner of death. The home’s owner was not living at the residence, authorities said.
Detective Sgt. Bryan Fuller said investigators discovered the remains in the backyard during the initial check and returned to expand the search with dogs and evidence technicians. “We located additional remains after daylight as we worked the yard methodically,” Fuller said. Troopers estimated the person had been dead for about three weeks. The MSP Grand Rapids forensic lab processed collected material, while anthropologists from Western Michigan University were asked to assist with excavation and recovery. Police said the person who had been staying in the camper had not been seen for three to four weeks, and it is not yet known if the remains are that individual.
Authorities said the property sits along the 600 block of Lincoln Road, also signed as M-89, north of 106th Avenue in Allegan County. Investigators emphasized that the owner was not occupying the home and had allowed someone to stay there, but did not release names. As of Saturday, no arrests had been announced, and detectives had not publicly identified a suspect. Police said the condition of the remains complicated recovery and identification, prompting the use of K-9s, grid searches and assistance from university experts. The timeline focuses on Thursday night’s discovery and Friday’s return to the scene to canvass adjoining lots, ditches and outbuildings.
Otsego Township has seen recent search activity in other investigations, but officials said this case is separate. Area records show state police frequently coordinate with Western Michigan University on forensic recoveries when decomposition is advanced. In past Allegan County cases, university anthropologists documented the recovery process and helped determine whether remains came from one or multiple people. Police said preliminary indicators here suggest one person, but they will not confirm until laboratory testing is complete. Detectives are also reviewing recent missing-person reports from the Wayland Post service area, which includes parts of Allegan, Barry and Kent counties.
Investigators said the autopsy was scheduled for Friday and additional laboratory work could take days. Detectives plan to release the person’s identity after next-of-kin notification. Police said they are pursuing search warrants tied to the property and any vehicles found on site, and expect to conduct follow-up interviews with people who last had contact with the individual believed to be living in the camper. MSP also said additional canvassing along M-89 could occur early this week, including checks of nearby surveillance systems and trail cameras. Officials will provide updates as identification and cause-of-death findings are available.
Neighbors described a large police presence Thursday night and into Friday, with marked cruisers, a mobile crime lab and K-9 units moving in and out of the driveway. “They’ve had the area taped off since last night,” said one resident who watched troopers search the yard and tree line through the afternoon. Another neighbor said crews were using rakes and evidence flags while a tow truck removed a camper. The scene quieted by evening as investigators wrapped up for the day and posted tape and patrol checks over the weekend.
As of Sunday, the remains had been transferred to the medical school for autopsy and identification. State police said the next public update is expected after preliminary autopsy results and once family notifications are complete.
Author note: Last updated November 16, 2025.