LIVONIA, MICH. – Madonna University hosted another Missing in Michigan, May 25, event in an effort to raise awareness of missing persons in Michigan. Members of local law enforcement were on hand to answer questions about missing persons’ cases and to take tips on old or new cases. The event was organized by Officer Sarah Krebs of the Michigan State Police, and Jessica Zarate, Madonna forensic science assistant professor. In the morning, some 60 law enforcement officers went through missing persons training, and family members of missing loved ones held a private session to share tips and ask questions about their cases.
The afternoon session was open to the public and gave family members an opportunity to share their stories.
Alexis Theeck decided to pursue forensic science at Madonna after her uncle, Kevin Graves, went missing in 2018 from the Electric Forest concert, on the west side of the state. Theeck wants to use her degree to "help get more resources to search for missing persons and to bring awareness to each case," she said. "I want to help families get answers that we haven't been able to get." The family has purchased a billboard right outside the Electric Forest concert venue in Rothbury for this year's event, hoping that someone will see it and provide information about Kevin Graves' whereabouts.
Zarate and several students who helped put on the event are pictured in front of the backdrop that hold photos of many loved ones who went missing in Michigan, some as long ago as 1969.
