The Genesee County case began after a new owner reported suspected bones in March.
FOREST TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Michigan State Police said at least four sets of human remains were found at a Genesee County property first reported to authorities March 18 after a new owner discovered what appeared to be bones.
The investigation centers on a Willard Road property in Forest Township, northeast of Flint. State police said the remains have not been identified, no suspect has been named and no arrest has been announced. Detectives are working with medical examiners, anthropologists and a national identification center as they try to determine who the people were and how their remains came to be on the property.
Troopers from the Michigan State Police Third District Flint Post were sent to the property shortly before 1 p.m. March 18 for a suspicious situation. Police said the caller had recently bought the site and reported finding what he believed were human remains. Troopers, detectives and a police dog team searched the property. Initial findings showed human remains were present. State police later confirmed the case had grown beyond one person, saying in a June update that investigators had determined there were at least four sets of remains. “The investigation remains active and ongoing,” state police said.
The property had been unoccupied since the previous homeowner’s death in December 2024, according to police. Authorities identified the former owner as Duane Reynolds, who died Dec. 3, 2024, at age 61. Police said the Willard Road property and a second Genesee County location searched by investigators had both been owned by Reynolds. Results from the search of the second property had not been released. Investigators have not said whether they believe the remains were connected to Reynolds, whether the remains were buried or stored, or how long they had been at the property.
Detectives are working with the Genesee County Medical Examiner’s Office and Michigan State University anthropologists to study and identify the remains. Police also said they are working with the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, with funding tied to a National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant. Earlier in the case, investigators said they were reviewing evidence, interviewing people connected to the property and treating the deaths as possible homicides until evidence showed otherwise. The identities, ages and sexes of the people whose remains were found have not been confirmed.
The case has brought repeated police activity to the Forest Township site since March. State police said the response has included detectives, forensic crime lab personnel, canine teams and aviation. Contractors were reportedly clearing trash from the property when a skull and bones were found. The house was owned by an LLC and was in the process of being demolished and renovated when the discovery was made. Police have not released a final search inventory, autopsy findings or a timeline for when identification work could be complete.
As of June 11, police said no arrests had been made and no suspects were in custody. The next major step is the identification of the remains, followed by any findings on cause and manner of death. State police said more updates will be released when new information is available.
Author note: Last updated June 11, 2026.