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Elderly woman’s body found buried in yard of home in Leroy Township

Posted at 12:29 PM, Jan 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-18 20:36:25-05

LEROY TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Michigan State Police continue to investigate a suspicious death at a residence in Calhoun County.

"Late last evening one of the troopers from the Marshall Post responded out here to the scene to what we call a check welfare," said MSP Lt. Chuck Christensen.  "We’re just going out to do a random check to make sure that they’re OK."

He said police were called to the 10000 block of Four Mile Road in East Leroy to conduct the welfare check on a 74-year-old woman. Friends of Phyllis Lutz called police on Thursday saying that they had not heard from her since September 2018.

"I made contact with someone that she lives with, a person of interest now, who was also a family member," said Trooper Erik Gantert who conducted the welfare check Thursday evening. "Through our further investigation, throughout the night and early morning hours, we were able to discover that the missing elderly woman was deceased."

Police said they've spoke with the person of interest who was the woman's 45-year-old and that she was being "cooperative." An autopsy exam will be performed within the next few days at Western Michigan University. However police believe the woman may have died back in  September.

"We’re going to do an investigation [and] do a police report," Lt. Christensen said. "That report will be reviewed by the prosecutors office. Then the prosecutor will make a determination if charges will be filed."