BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WOOD) — Police have released new information about a suspicious New Year’s death and arson in Battle Creek and say they have a suspect in custody.
The investigation began after emergency responders were called to a house fire just before 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day in the 200 block of Graves Street. After the fire was extinguished, the body of 58-year-old Howard Gillette was found. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Thursday morning, 24 Hour News 8 learned investigators worked backwards to identify a suspect in Gillette’s death.
Initially, police thought Gillette was fatally shot on Jan. 1.
But a Michigan State Police trooper made a traffic stop on Dec. 31 and arrested the driver for operating while intoxicated and found a handgun in the car. Police later executed a search warrant on the car and found evidence linking the driver to Gillette, but did not provide specific information on that evidence.
View the full story on Wood TV