Oakland County Child Killer - Investigation

Investigation

After the discovery of Kristine Mihelich's body, authorities quickly realized they were dealing with three cases and evidence that were closely similar. Reports were released publicly of the possibility a serial killer was operating in the Oakland County area. The Michigan State Police led a group of law-enforcement officials from 13 communities in the formation of a task force, devoted solely to the investigation.

Soon after Timothy King was abducted, a composite drawing of the suspected kidnapper and his vehicle was released. A woman claimed she had seen a boy with a skateboard talking to a man in a parking lot of the drugstore that Timothy had told his parents he was going to ride his skateboard to. The vehicle was reportedly a blue AMC Gremlin with a white side stripe. Authorities would eventually question every Gremlin owner in Oakland County.

Investigators put together a profile of the killer based on witnesses' descriptions of the man seen talking to Timothy King the night he disappeared—a white male with a dark complexion, 25 to 35 years old with shaggy hair and sideburns. Authorities believed that the killer had a job that gave him freedom of movement and may have appeared to be someone that a child might trust, such as a police officer, clergyman or a doctor. He was also believed to be familiar with the area and had the ability to keep children for long periods of time without rousing neighbors' suspicions.

Detroit psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Danto, who worked with the task force, received a letter several weeks after Timothy King's body was found from a man named "Allen", who claimed that he was the killer's roommate and even helped look after the victims. Allen said his roommate had been traumatized by killing children in the Vietnam War and was taking revenge out on more affluent citizens, which Allen says his roommate blamed for sending him to war. Soon after, Danto got a phone call from Allen, who offered to provide photographic evidence in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Under police surveillance, the psychiatrist arranged to meet Allen at a gay bar near Detroit's exclusive Palmer Woods neighborhood. Allen did not show, and was never heard from again.

The task force checked out more than 18,000 tips, which resulted in about two dozen arrests on unrelated charges and the busting of a multi-state child pornography ring. However, task force members were unable to make much headway in the investigation. The task force disbanded in December 1978 and the investigation was turned over to the State Police. The killer never struck again.