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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Skeletal remains found in Michigan field 28 years ago finally ID'd thanks to advanced DNA testing
The Brief Skeletal remains found in Plymouth in 1997 have been identified thanks to advanced DNA testing. DNA extracted from the bones led to a relative of Benjamin Fountain, who authorities believe died of a head injury. If alive today, Fountain would be 99. PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - Almost 30 years after a man's remains were found wrapped in a carpet in Plymouth Township, a murder victim has been laid to rest. DNA testing decades later identified the skeletal remains as Benjamin Harrison Fountain, who would be 99 today. The backstory According to Othram, a forensics company that assisted with the identification, the bones were found in a field off Haggerty Road in Plymouth in May 1997 by a person who was surveying the land to purchase it. Police believed that the remains had been there for years before they were discovered. Investigators were able to determine that the remains were of a man who appeared to have been around 5 feet, 8 inches tall. Shorts found with the remains led investigators to believe he may have been slim. His death was ruled a homicide due to a suspected head injury, and a .357 slug was found with the skeleton. Investigators performed testing on the slug and the clothing found with the skeleton, and also tracked down the origin of a gold class ring found with the remains, but were unsuccessful in identifying who it was. Traditional DNA testing was conducted in 2015 and the results were entered into CODIS, but like other methods of ID'ing the victim, didn't yield any matches. Dig deeper In 2022, the Plymouth Township Police Department teamed with Othram to conduct advanced DNA testing. DNA was extracted from the bones, and Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing was performed at Othram's Texas lab. Through this, it was discovered that the ancestry of the unknown person was African. By using the DNA profile, Othram's forensic genetic genealogy team developed new leads about possible family members and provided them to police. Police were then able to contact a potential relative and use their DNA to determine Fountain's identity. Who he was Fountain, who was born in Virginia on May 6, 1926, also lived in West Virginia before landing in Detroit. He served in World War II after being drafted. His remains, which had been at the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office since they were found, were finally laid to rest in May, when he was buried at Our Lady of Hope Cemetery in Brownstown. What we don't know It is unknown who killed Fountain or how he ended up dead in a field. An investigation into his death is ongoing. The Source Othram provided details for this story.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Severe weather strikes Metro Detroit with 30k outages, flooded highways, and toppled trees
The Brief A fresh round of severe weather brought flooded highways, power outages, and toppled trees to Metro Detroit Tuesday afternoon. Several parts of Southeast Michigan were under thunderstorm warnings after a flurry of showers moved through the region. More showers are possible later in the evening. (FOX 2) - Severe weather moved through Michigan Tuesday afternoon, bringing gusty winds, downpours, and some destruction to homeowners. More than 30,000 lost power during the thunderstorms. Big picture view Severe weather impacted several corners of Southeast Michigan on Tuesday after thunderstorms cropped up, disappearing as quickly as they arrived. Left in its wake are tens of thousands of homes without power, flooded highways and blocked roads due to downed power lines, and at least a few homes with damage from fallen trees. The rain arrived at the tail-end of a heat wave that cooked the region for several days in a row. While the relief is near, more severe weather is expected for the rest of the week, meaning the threat of outages, flooding, and more property damage will remain. Local perspective Among those impacted by the severe weather was a home on Freda Street in Detroit. While the severe weather was brief, it brought with it enough force to take down a massive tree. When it fell, it lifted several feet of dirt and concrete, blocking access to the home and making a mess for those living at the residence. The homeowners told FOX 2 they had lived in the home for 30 years. Over that time, they had never seen something like the damage that arrived Tuesday around 3:30 p.m. Other trees were also brought down by the storms, which arrived with 60 mph winds and downpours of almost half an inch, according to the National Weather Service. By the numbers Clinton Township, Livonia, and other communities along the Eight Mile corridor were also hit. In southern Oakland County, Grand River Avenue became blocked by a power line that was brought down when the thunderstorms arrived. Flooding on I-75 choked off travel for both northbound and southbound drivers. According to DTE's outage map, more than 33,000 homes have lost power because of the severe weather. The outages are dispersed around Metro Detroit, including thousands of outages reported in southern Macomb County and western Oakland County. The blast of storms left flooding on highways around Detroit. Traffic jams were reported along some of the major arteries for getting around Southeast Michigan. Check out the map below for up-to-date traffic. While Michigan is finally ridding itself of the boiling temperatures that cooked it for the past four days, extreme weather is not done with us yet. The NWS is expecting thunderstorms throughout the rest of the week, starting with Tuesday night. Storms are possible before 11 p.m. and again by 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. Precipitation returns Wednesday morning with on-and-off showers and thunderstorm chances throughout the day, mostly before 2 p.m. On Thursday, more showers are expected in the late morning and early afternoon, as well as thunderstorms in the later afternoon. On Friday, a 60% chance of rain is present for the entire day. The Source Warnings from the National Weather Service as well as FOX 2's meteorology team were used while reporting this story.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
PHOTOS: Thousands gather for ‘No Kings' protests around St. Louis
ST. LOUIS – Thousands of people gathered for several 'No Kings' protests Saturday across the St. Louis region. The protests follow recent unrest over actions and political stances of U.S. President Donald Trump. On Saturday, FOX 2 spotted large crowds for 'No Kings' protests in Downtown St. Louis near Kiener Plaza, west St. Louis County near Manchester Road and south St. Louis County near Lindbergh Boulevard. There were similar protests also planned in St. Peters, Franklin County and the Metro East. The 'No Kings' protests were held at various times, some in the morning and others in the afternoon. The rallies may have caused various traffic slowdowns or delays in the St. Louis region. The 'No Kings' rallies were organized in nearly 2,000 locations nationwide, including cities, towns, and community spaces. These protests followed recent unrest over federal immigration raids and Trump's deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles. Check out FOX 2's photo gallery of Saturday's St. Louis-area 'No Kings' protests in this story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cold air funnels appear in Arnold, Mo., following Friday's rain
ARNOLD, Mo. – The funnel clouds spotted over parts of the region today are known as 'cold air funnels,' or some people refer to them as 'tropical funnels.' Despite their menacing appearance in the sky, these funnel clouds are typically harmless. FOX 2 actually discussed the potential for cold air funnels yesterday in today's forecast because of the presence of an upper-level low-pressure system overriding a very humid air mass below. The upper-level winds swirling around that low pressure aided the shallow updrafts of this afternoon's showers in developing some weak rotation. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now These types of funnels are much more closely related to waterspouts than their big brother – tornadoes. Tornadoes, by definition, are a violently rotating column of air that extends from the cloud to the ground. In the case of cold air funnels, the rotation is much gentler and rarely, if ever, reaches the ground. The National Weather Service almost never issues warnings for cold air funnels because they usually don't reach the ground, they are weak, and they don't last very long. They simply don't pose the threat of their big brother tornadoes. FOX 2 viewers shared photos of the cold air funnels in Arnold, Missouri, on Friday: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
American Red Cross, Urban League step in to help family of 14 displaced by tornado
ST. LOUIS – Nearly a month after a tornado destroyed their home, a St. Louis family of 14 is once again preparing for homelessness—this time on Father's day. The Williams family's home is on St. Ferdinand Street, and what used to be a house full of life and laughter is now unlivable. The walls of their tornado-damaged home are still standing, but this family says their stability is crumbling. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'I've never been through a disaster before. I'm doing the best I can. We're constantly on the phone, looking for rentals, just trying to hold on until disaster relief comes to help repair our home,' Selena Williams said. The 14-person family has been staying in an extended hotel since the storm, but that is expected to end this weekend. With no home and no rental willing to accept a large family, they've turned to FEMA and local nonprofits for help. 'I don't know what to do. Because of our family size, that's an issue. That's why we owned our home; it had enough space for us,' Williams told FOX 2. The American Red Cross has stepped in and will extend the families' stay seven more days and the Urban League will also assist afterwards, extending the stay for a month. The Williams family said they won't stop fighting for stable housing. Their GoFundMe is active now as they search for a new home. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
