By Elizabeth Ferszt
Contributing Writer
Allegan County authorities encountered a grisly discovery at the 600 block of Lincoln Ave. (Hwy 89), heading east into the village of Otsego last week. During a routine welfare check, possibly for a missing person, human remains were allegedly found at the home.
According to reporting from Fox 17 News, “Michigan State Police troopers responded to a welfare check and a missing person complaint on Nov. 12. When they arrived, they found what they believe are human remains.”
Allegan County Sheriff Office was then called, as well as the MSP forensic lab in Grand Rapids, and Anthropologists from Western Michigan University.
However, according to an email from ACSO Sgt. Ben Haas, on Monday Nov. 17, “the Sheriff’s Office does not have any (further) involvement in his case”—they referred the ACN to MSP Wayland Post.
According to officers at the MSP Wayland Post, in a phone call on Nov. 17, there is no further update other than what they posted to X (formerly Twitter), last week: “Authorities returned to the scene today for further evidence collection and additional investigation. Preliminary information reveals that the remains of only one unknown individual were discovered.”
“Note: It is MSP’s policy to ’treat all suspicious death investigations as a homicide’ until forensics and autopsy examinations prove otherwise. This is an ongoing investigation and this [is] the last update until positive identification and manner of death are known.”
“If you have any info about this incident, please call the [MSP] Wayland Post at 269-792-2213.”
The ACN also attempted to contact forensic anthropologist Dr. Michelle Hrivnyak, who is a faculty specialist within the Institute for Intercultural and Anthropological Studies (IIAS) at Western Michigan University. She typically teaches ANTH 2510: Forensic Anthropology. Hrivnyak did not respond.
An autopsy was performed on Friday Nov. 14, ostensibly by Dr. Patrick Hansma, the Medical Examiner of Allegan Co. Hansma is also on faculty at WMU Stryker School of Medicine where he teaches Forensic Pathology. Hansma also did not respond to requests for comment or updates.
