26-06-2025
Father and son found dead at idyllic Michigan campground
A father and son were found dead earlier this month in a horrifying discovery at a Michigan national park.
The pair - who have not been named - were discovered at a campground at Isle Royale National Park on June 8.
While details remain scarce, the Keweenaw County Medical Examiner Dr. Michael McAllister announced their deaths were likely the result of a murder-suicide.
It remains unclear which person authorities think died first, or what caused the horror.
The deaths are being probed by the FBI.
The FBI has stressed that, despite the extreme levels of secrecy there is, 'no known threat to the public'.
Multiple Michigan law enforcement officials told MLive that the effort to conceal the victims' identities is unusual.
Park rangers at Isle Royale received the first reports of two deceased individuals on June 8 at around 4pm.
Two rangers then hiked overnight and traveled a total of 11 miles. They arrived Monday morning and found the dead father and son.
A 'fixed wing aircraft' and a helicopter was also used in the operation, though National Park Service officials didn't specify if it was to transport the bodies.
The bodies were found at South Desor Lake Campground, which is about an 11-mile hike from Windigo, the westernmost access point for the 206-square-mile island.
The campground is off the 40-mile-long Greenstone Ridge Trail, the main path used by hikers to walk between the island's two main harbors, Windigo and Rock Harbor.
Hiking the entire trail typically takes five to eight days, according to the National Park Service.
McAllister, the county medical examiner, said the deaths were formally confirmed by medical personnel on June 10.
'That could have just been (when) their bodies got transported off the island, and I believe they were pronounced on shore after they got them out of there,' he said.
'So the date that they were pronounced doesn't always necessarily correlate the dates that we suspect they actually died.'
Isle Royale is one of the least popular national parks for tourists given how isolated it is.
The island, which has no permanent residents, is only accessible by ferry, seaplane or private boat.
In 2024, Isle Royale had the sixth least visits of all national parks at just 28,806, according to CNN.
The national parks more unpopular than it were all in Hawaii and Alaska, making Isle Royale one of the most remote nature sites in the mainland United States.
Daily Mail approached the FBI and the National Park Service for comment.
