A 52-year-old father of two, Robert Loren Bacon, was found dead more than a week after he mysteriously disappeared during a family vacation at a Michigan resort. Bacon had told his teenage daughters that he was going to retrieve something from his car, but he never returned. The family had gathered at the Bavarian Inn resort in Frankenmuth on December 27 for a holiday getaway.
Bacon was last seen on the resort’s security cameras around 6:40 p.m., carrying his belongings to his room. He was supposed to join his daughters, aged 15 and 13, and his mother at the pool. However, he told them he needed to fetch something from his car first. His ex-wife, Melissa McLenna, shared that he never made it back to the pool area.
When Bacon failed to return, his family became increasingly worried. By December 30, they reported him missing. McLenna took to social media, urging anyone with information about Bacon’s whereabouts to contact the authorities.
On the following Saturday, dive teams recovered Bacon’s body from the Cass River near Heritage Park, as reported by the Frankenmuth Police Department. The initial cause of death is suspected to be drowning, but the final determination will be made by the Saginaw County Medical Examiner’s Office. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bacon’s death is still ongoing.
Despite Bacon’s claim that he was heading to his car, surveillance footage from the resort revealed that he never reached his vehicle. Instead, the video showed him heading to the resort’s fun center after leaving his hotel room. McLenna also noted that some exits at the resort are not covered by cameras, and there was no footage showing him leaving the building.
Bacon’s silver sedan remained in the resort’s parking lot, and a police investigation found nothing suspicious inside. His keys, wallet, and phone were reportedly with him when he disappeared. However, his phone had been switched off since his last sighting.
Following the tragic news, McLenna expressed her grief on Facebook, thanking everyone who had helped in the search for Bacon and those who had offered prayers for the family. The Bavarian Inn resort in Frankenmuth is located approximately 90 miles northwest of Detroit.