What began as a missing persons report has ended up as a murder investigation, with the person who initially alerted police arrested and charged as the number one suspect.
50-year-old Ernest Carr Jr. of Mt. Morris Township, contacted police on October 28th to report that his father was missing. Police conducted a brief search, which began and ended at the 73-year-old man’s home on Eldon Road.
His body was discovered that evening at about 5 pm in his garage. He had been stabbed multiple times. At about 5:30, say authorities, the scene turned into a suspicious death investigation which is being jointly investigated by the Michigan State Police and the Mt Morris Township Police.
Police believed the murder was the result of a domestic dispute
According to Mt Morris Township Police Chief Terrence Green, “This was not a random act. It’s not as if it was a home invasion or something like that. It wasn’t a stranger.” He also went on to explain that police believed the murder was the result of a domestic dispute, but wouldn’t say more than that at the time.
Police later revealed that it was the very son who had alerted police to his father’s disappearance who was in custody and being charged with murder. Carr Jr. was arraigned via video conference in the 67th District Court in Mt. Morris. He was charged with open murder and denied bail.
Open murder means that the prosecutor has decided not to choose between first degree and second degree murder charges, but has chosen instead to allow the jury to decide which charges are most applicable in the specific instance.
The suspect has requested that the court appoint him an attorney, although it has not yet been made public as to which attorney will be representing him. In a recent interview with the media, Carr Jr.’s brother said that the entire family is in shock and never expected anything like this.