A former Northern Michigan University cold case program student. (Northern Michigan University photo)

A Forest County, Wis., man is dead after facing criminal charges in a kidnapping and sexual assault that occurred almost four decades ago in Delta County, Michigan State Police said Friday.

The 78-year-old was found dead Sunday at his home in Argonne, Wis., two days before his planned arrest, police said. The death is under investigation by the Forest County Sheriff’s Office.

As the man’s death happened before his arraignment, his name is being withheld, but the victim was advised her assailant had been positively identified through DNA comparison, the MSP stated in a news release Friday.

This case is believed to be the oldest sexual assault case in Michigan to be solved utilizing Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy, or FIGG, a relatively new technique that uses DNA evidence from a crime and genealogical databases to trace familial connections.

In a news release, MSP reported these details in the case:

The MSP Manistique Post originally began an investigation in August 1986 after a female reported she was assaulted while on a bike trip from her home in Lac du Flambeau, Wis., to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. She had stopped to use a public bathroom at the Big Fishdam River access off U.S. 2 in Garden Township and when she came out, a man forced her at gunpoint into his car. The suspect drove her around and repeatedly sexually assaulted her, eventually releasing her.

Initial investigative efforts were unsuccessful in identifying the man. Over time, when all investigative leads were exhausted, it was designated a cold case. Periodically over the years, troopers and detectives reviewed the case and made attempts to follow up on any new credible evidence.

The breakthrough in the investigation came in the fall of 2023, when MSP detectives utilized an ongoing partnership with Northern Michigan University’s NMU Cold Case Program to review the case.

The NMU Cold Case Program was established in 2022 as a partnership between NMU and MSP to offer students in NMU’s Criminal Justice Program real-world experience with forensic analysis, investigation and the criminal justice system. Because active investigations require substantial time and attention, troopers and detectives often have limited resources to dedicate to reviewing cold cases. Students from the Cold Case Program reexamine old evidence with fresh eyes, bringing new investigative ideas to these cases.

The NMU Cold Case Program reviewed the original investigation in the fall semester of 2023 and determined use of the Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy might be appropriate.

The MSP Forensic Science Division contracted with a private laboratory to review the evidence and complete the FIGG testing, which resulted in an investigative lead for detectives.

MSP detectives then coordinated with the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation and Forest County, Wis., Sheriff’s Office to further this investigation in Wisconsin, which resulted in the identification of a 78-year-old male. This man had lived in Harris in Menominee County at the time of the incident, which was about a 45-minute drive from the crime scene. The suspect had subsequently moved to Wisconsin a short time after the incident.

A search warrant was issued for the man’s DNA. MSP detectives delivered the DNA sample to the MSP Forensic Science Division, which determined through testing that it matched the sample from evidence collected in 1986.

The Delta County Prosecutor’s Office issued charges of kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct first degree for the 78-year-old male, now living in Argonne, Wis., and plans were made for his arrest Tuesday. However, the man was found dead Sunday at his residence.

“This case is a reminder of both the importance of persistence and of collaboration in the pursuit of justice,” Col. James F. Grady II, director of the MSP, said in the news release. “I extend my gratitude to the dedicated MSP troopers and detectives who worked this case over the years, never allowing it to be forgotten. I’d also like to thank the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation and Forest County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Office, as well as the MSP Forensic Science Division. Lastly, a special thank you goes to the students and faculty of the NMU Cold Case Program who contributed directly to solving this heinous crime and bringing some measure of closure for this victim.”

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Compiled by Betsy Bloom, managing editor.