Updated Sept. 10, 2026: Later reporting materially expanded the initial account. On June 10, Michigan State Police said at least four sets of human remains were present on the property, not only the skull and other remains described in the initial report. The remains are with the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, working with MSU anthropologists and the Genesee County Medical Examiner. As of Sept. 10, no identification or arrest had been announced. This version also corrects the property’s location, about 20 miles north of Flint.
A man bought a quiet house on Willard Road and started planning a renovation. Then the contractors got to work, and what they found stopped the entire project cold.
A Routine Remodel Turned Into A Crime Scene
It started as an ordinary day on a recently sold property in Forest Township, about 20 miles north of Flint in Genesee County.
Contractors were prepping the home for a remodel for its new owner. Standard demo work. Nothing unusual.
Until they found human remains.
The man who’d just purchased the property called police just before 1 p.m. on March 18, and Michigan State Police responded. According to ABC12, a skull was believed to have been found in the garage, and more remains were found in other areas of the property.
Investigators Keep Coming Back
This wasn’t a one-and-done search.
Days after the initial discovery, investigators returned to the Willard Road home with a K-9 team to comb the property again. A neighbor, John Osborn, noticed the activity hadn’t stopped.
“I guess they were there last night for something,” he told ABC12.
Michigan State Police are now working with the Michigan State University Anthropology Department to identify the remains. Investigators believe the skull belonged to an adult, but they’re still trying to determine whether all the remains came from a single person.
A Detail That Raises More Questions
Here’s what’s known about the home itself: the man who lived there died in 2024, and a family member sold the property afterward.
What investigators are still working to understand is how the remains ended up there — and who they belong to.
For Osborn, the not-knowing is the hardest part. “That would be curiosity more than anything,” he said. “What happened.”
The Part That Hits Hardest
For some Michigan families, a discovery like this isn’t just a strange news story — it’s a phone call they’ve been dreading for years.
Since the remains were found, Michigan State Police have been fielding calls from families of missing loved ones, wondering if this could finally be their answer.
One of them was Becky Beck of Flint. Her daughter, Misty-Dawn Kerrison-Steiber, was murdered, and her skull was found in Flint’s Broome Park back in November 2017 — but the rest of her remains have never been recovered.
“Yeah, your heart goes down to your stomach,” Beck said of moments like these.
“Because her remains have not been found yet, they have to be somewhere,” she said. “I would like to get the rest of my daughter so I can bury her properly.”
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about any of these death investigations is asked to contact Michigan State Police or to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-422-JAIL.
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Last verifiedSep. 10, 2026
Corrections statusMaterial update published July 13, 2026: later reporting says investigators recovered at least four sets of human remains.
AI assistanceResearched and drafted with AI tools. Reviewed and approved by editor Keegan O’Brien.
Verification note: Rechecked Sept. 10, 2026. No identification, arrest or new state police statement has been reported since June. The property's location, the garage detail and the timeline of the first call were corrected to match the reporting.
Primary sources
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Submit A Tip — Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County
Accessed Sep. 10, 2026.
Supports: Supports: Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County takes anonymous tips at 1-800-422-JAIL (5245).
Additional reporting
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Police search Genesee County property to look for more human remains — ABC12 (WJRT)
Published Mar. 25, 2026. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026.
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Forensic work underway to identify human remains as loved ones of missing people await answers — WNEM TV5
Published Jun. 12, 2026. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026.
Supports: Supports: identification work on four sets of remains was pending as of June 12, 2026.
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At least four sets of human remains found on Willard Road property, MSP says — WNEM TV5
Published Jun. 10, 2026. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026.
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Lab more than 1,200 miles away works to ID 4 sets of remains found in Genesee County home — Mid-Michigan NOW (midmichigannow.com)
Published Jun. 24, 2026. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026.
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Human remains found in recently purchased home in Michigan, police say — WDIV Local 4 (ClickOnDetroit)
Published Mar. 19, 2026. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026.