A heartbreaking and tragic discovery was made in Michigan when a missing six-year-old boy was found dead alongside his father. The police are treating this case as a suspected murder-suicide.
The child’s mother contacted the authorities on Monday, August 19, after the boy’s father failed to return him as scheduled. A rigorous, multi-day search began, and sadly, by Wednesday, August 21, the worst was confirmed.
On the evening of August 19, Michigan’s Isabella County Sheriff’s Office received a distressing call from a mother reporting her six-year-old son missing. The boy’s father was supposed to return him that morning, but he did not show up.
Desperate and terrified, the boy’s mother shared pictures of her son on Facebook, hoping that someone might have seen him. Meanwhile, deputies visited Michael Steven Winchell’s house to look for him and his son, Rowan Milford Morey.
The search continued tirelessly for the next 24 hours, but there was still no sign of Winchell or the child.
Detectives eventually contacted a sibling of Winchell, but even they were unable to get in touch with the 48-year-old father.
On August 21, Winchell’s family members stepped in to aid the search. While combing the property, they stumbled upon an isolated camper parked at the rear. Deciding to investigate, they broke a window and were shocked to see Winchell inside, appearing lifeless.
The police were called immediately and upon forcing their way into the camper, they discovered the tragic scene: both Winchell and little Rowan were deceased.
Although investigations are still ongoing, initial reports suggest a grim scenario where Winchell might have shot his son before turning the gun on himself.
After the devastating discovery, Rowan’s mother took to Facebook to share the heartbreaking news: “Thank you for sending your prayers for a safe return. Unfortunately, our fears were confirmed, and Rowan has been found but is no longer with us.”
The tragedy has left the community and family without words, grappling with the unimaginable. How could a father take the life of his own child?
