Family seeks answers after ruling on son's death near Electric Forest
Kevin Graves, a 28-year-old from Oakland County, from the festival near Rothbury in 2018.
The last seven years have felt like a lifetime for Kevin's parents, Gary and Kathy Graves. It's been years and years of trying to find out what happened to Kevin.
'It's still open in our hearts,' Kathy Graves said. 'We'll never be the same.'
Initial searches throughout the area came up empty. Family and volunteers handed out missing person flyers at the 2019 festival. In 2023, they helped with his face outside the festival entrance.
It wasn't until late last year that a sheriff's deputy came to their front door and told them Kevin's in a wooded area not far from the festival.
'I wish that knock on the door was for something else,' Kathy Graves said. 'Something more definitive.'
Kevin's wallet and phone were also discovered nearby. His parents couldn't believe he was found there then and not before.
Remains ID'd as missing man, whose sister recalls his 'kind spirit'
'They searched once, they searched twice, they searched numerous times in that area,' Kathy Graves said. 'Why the dogs didn't find anything? That doesn't make sense.'
Now, they've gotten word from the Oceana County Medical Examiner that the office has ruled Kevin's cause of death as undetermined. That often happens when remains have been out in the elements for so many years. Gary and Kathy Graves say they were told there were no obvious signs of trauma.
News 8 reached out to the Oceana County Medical Examiner Sunday asking more about the report. The office has not yet responded. Michigan State Police said after Kevin's remains were found that there were no signs of foul play.
Human remains found near festival site where man went missing
'We're not done,' Kathy Graves said. 'We're not done looking for answers. I don't think it's the end of the story at all.'
Soon, Kevin's parents will go out with Michigan State Police to the site where he was found. They're not satisfied by the lack of answers in the report. They hope eventually they'll find out how Kevin ended up there.
'Somebody knows something,' Gary Graves said. 'Somebody's afraid to speak. And until somebody speaks up, it's gonna keep going. We're gonna be looking.'
'Maybe one day, they'll come forward or somebody will say something,' Kathy Graves said. 'I guess we're looking for justice.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
18 hours ago
- CBS News
Wisconsin man charged in Upper Peninsula kidnapping and sexual assault cold case
A decades-long kidnapping and sexual assault case out of Delta County in Michigan's Upper Peninsula has been solved thanks to forensic genealogy. In August 1986, a woman reported that she was assaulted while on a bike trip from her home in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The woman told Michigan State Police that after using a public bathroom at the Big Fishdam River access off US-2 in Garden Township, she was forced into a man's car at gunpoint, where he then drove around and sexually assaulted her several times before releasing her, according to police. After 37 years without a breakthrough, MSP detectives in 2023 utilized an existing partnership with Northern Michigan University's cold case program, which gives students in the school's criminal justice program opportunities with investigation, forensic analysis and the criminal justice system. NMU students began reviewing the original case in the fall of 2023. During that time, the use of forensic genetic genealogy, which combines genealogical databases and DNA evidence from crimes to map familial connections, was suggested to help solve the case. MSP's forensic science division worked with a private laboratory to complete forensic genealogy testing, which provided detectives with an investigative lead. Working with the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation and the Forest County Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin, Michigan detectives identified a 78-year-old Argonne, Wisconsin, man, who had previously lived in Harris, Michigan, at the time of the kidnapping and assault, and about a 45-minute drive from where the crime occurred. A DNA sample was collected from the man and matched a sample taken from evidence in 1986. Delta County prosecutors charged the man with kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Authorities had planned to arrest the man on July 29; however, he was found dead in his home on July 27. As a result of the suspect being found dead before being arraigned, state police are not identifying him. The victim has been notified that her alleged attacker was positively identified. "This case is a reminder of both the importance of persistence and of collaboration in the pursuit of justice," said Colonel James F. Grady II, director of the MSP, in a statement. "I extend my gratitude to the dedicated MSP troopers and detectives who worked this case over the years, never allowing it to be forgotten." The case is believed to be the oldest sexual assault case in the state solved by using forensic genealogy, according to state police. The Forest County Sheriff's Office is currently investigating the man's death.
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Michigan State Police seize over $10 million worth of marijuana at illegal grow site
An illicit marijuana grow operation was raided Wednesday in Lake County, Michigan, with over 13,000 plants found in addition to hundreds of pounds of dried marijuana flower. The street value of the items seized is estimated to be more than $10 million, Michigan State Police said. Multiple people were also arrested on site, the report said. Detectives with the MSP's Marijuana and Tobacco Investigation Section executed the search warrant at what used to be a manufacturing facility in Baldwin, Webber Township. The building where the marijuana plants were found was over 17,000 square feet in size, and the entire facility was on 19 acres. "Neither the property nor the suspects identified were found to have valid licensure through the Cannabis Regulatory Agency, confirming this operation was producing marijuana contrary to Michigan law," the report said. "Cannabis produced in illegal operations like this often contains harmful substances—including hazardous chemicals, pesticides, mold, and heavy metals — that pose serious health risks to unsuspecting consumers." Once the state police complete their investigation, the information will be submitted to the Michigan Attorney General's office for review and "potential added criminal charges."
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Driver ejected, run over by another vehicle, during crash on I-94
One person was ejected from a car, run over and seriously injured during a crash on Interstate 94 in Detroit, Michigan State Police reported. The call about the single vehicle, rollover crash was made about 1:30 a.m. Thursday to the Detroit Regional Communication Center. When troopers arrived on scene, they found the wrecked Dodge Magnum was blocking the right and center lanes of westbound I-94 near Concord Avenue. The vehicle was on fire, with Detroit Fire Department on scene. The 23-year-old driver, who was not wearing a seat belt at the time, had been thrown into the right lane. Troopers determined that the Dodge Magnum had run off the road to the right, went up the embankment rolling down onto the freeway, and then caught fire. Witnesses also told officers that the driver was then run over by a passing vehicle, possibly a maroon Ford Escape. The driver was transported to a local hospital, and the injuries are described as life threatening. Michigan Department of Transportation traffic reports The investigation is continuing.
