Just a few weeks ago in the early evening, police were alerted to a vehicle fire on a rough seasonal gravel road in the Upper Peninsula. Once officers arrived, the fire had burned itself out. But inside the scorched frame of the car were the skeletal remains of three people. An investigation was opened and less than two weeks later, police arrested a suspect all the way out in West Frankfort, Illinois.
According to the Michigan State Police, Kent Brunke was a suspect in the triple homicide from the very start. After all, once the three bodies were identified, it was quickly discovered that one of them was Brunke’s girlfriend. The three victims’ names have since been released. Police identified the two women as sisters Carrie Nelson, 31, and Heather Aldrich, 25, who were both from the Newberry area. The man was 42-year-old Jody Hutchinson from Gould City.
Police suspected Brunke’s involvement in the deaths
No information has yet been released regarding how they died, or how their bodies came to be in a torched car on a rural road at dusk. But police suspected Brunke’s involvement in the deaths, and tracked him all the way to his son-in-law’s home in West Frankfort.
West Frankfort police set up 24-hour surveillance on his parked vehicle, and then waited for the warrant to come through from Michigan. As soon as the warrant was signed, police in West Frankfort were cleared for the arrest. They waited until Brunke came out of the house to check for potential storm damage to the property and promptly arrested him.
Brunke was taken to the Franklin County Jail where he was held without bond until his extradition hearing. At his court appearance, Brunke agreed to return to Michigan in order to face charges. According to the Franklin County State’s Attorney, because Brunke agreed to go voluntarily, he will likely be quickly returned to Michigan.
However, while Brunke is facing triple homicide charges in here in Michigan, no information is available about the exact nature of the charges. And it is not known whether the prosecution expects to bring additional charges as the investigation continues. We will keep you updated as this case unfolds.