Chippewa Township, Michigan – In a heartbreaking incident, 6-year-old Rowan Milford Morey and his father, 48-year-old Michael Steven Winchell, were found deceased on Wednesday morning in what authorities believe to be a tragic murder-suicide. The bodies were discovered in a camper located on property in the 8000 block of East River Road.
Rowan Morey had been reported missing on Monday after his father, Michael Winchell, failed to return him to his mother as scheduled. Concerned and distressed, Rowan’s mother alerted the police and took to social media, pleading for help in locating her son.
Isabella County Sheriff Michael Main reported that deputies made several attempts to locate both Winchell and his son at the father’s residence, but their efforts were initially unsuccessful. Over the following 24 hours, police expanded their search, reaching out to Winchell’s friends and family, though no one had been able to make contact with him.
The breakthrough came when a detective contacted a sibling of Winchell, who also had been unable to reach him. Despite continued efforts, checks of the home on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning yielded no new information. However, a family member eventually arrived at the property and discovered an isolated camper in the rear. Upon breaking a window, they saw Winchell, who appeared to be dead.
Authorities were immediately notified and used a breaching tool to enter the camper, where they tragically found both Rowan and Winchell deceased. Preliminary investigations suggest that Michael Winchell shot his son before taking his own life.
This devastating discovery has shocked the local community, leaving many grappling with the loss of a young boy and the tragic circumstances surrounding his death. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to piece together the events leading up to this tragedy.