(WXYZ) - It’s a chilling case that still haunts Metro Detroit. And some of the victims’ families are finally speaking out. They say the police aren’t moving fast enough on new evidence that they believe could solve the notorious Oakland County Child Killer case. Action News reporter Dave Lewallen has the exclusive details.
CLICK HERE FOR A FULL HISTORY AND STORIES ON THE OAKLAND COUNTY CHILD KILLER CASE The families say the taskforce investigating the case has had over a year to complete DNA testing and testing on trace evidence that could identify the killer.
For Barry King, there is disappointment.
Barry King/Father of Timmy King: “We were stonewalled. They did not answer one of our inquiries.”
King and Erica McAvoy are speaking out in a television interview for the first time, expressing their unhappiness over the investigation of the Oakland County Child killer case. Last month, the two attended a meeting of the task force along with other family members, but left without answers to their questions.
Barry King is the father of Timmy King, who was 11-years old when he was abducted in Birmingham on March 16th, 1977. His body was found six-days later in Livonia.
Erica McAvoy is the half-sister of Kristine Mihelich. Ten-year old Kristine was missing for 19 days in 1977 before her body was discovered in Franklin.
They are two of the four children who were murdered in 1976 and 1977—murders that created fear and panic in southeast Michigan. Now, it’s nearly 33 years from the date the first child disappeared—and there are still no answers as to who killed Timmy, Kristine, Mark Stebbins and Jill Robinson.
Erica McAvoy/Half sister of Kristine Mihelich: “Many people say, you know, it’s done, it’s over with, it happened over 30-years ago, why can’t you accept that.” (1:01:45)
But they won’t accept it because they think a Bloomfield Township man, Christopher Busch, was the killer.
Dave Lewallen: “What do you want most out of this?”
Barry King: “I want the testing done and I want a decision by the law enforcement agencies as to whether or not Mr. Busch did or did not participate in the killing of these children, and in particular, my son.”
In October of 2008, investigators obtained a search warrant for this Bloomfield Township home. They collected material from the heating and cooling ducts, looking for evidence that might link Busch to the murders. Christopher was the son of former General Motors executive Harold Busch. The home was owned by the family during the time period of the child killings.
In 2007, Busch’s name again came to the attention of investigators. Busch had a criminal history, serving a two-year probation after pleading guilty in a sexual assault case involving a 13-year-old boy in Oakland County in 1976. He committed suicide in his bedroom in 1978.
Erica McAvoy: “I will tell you that we will not quit until we determine the truth and what happened and who was involved.”
Timmy King was the youngest of Barry and Marion King’s four children. He was a good student, a hockey player, and a baseball player, and as his dad remembers him, a sweet kid.
Barry King: “I still have a wooden bored, he colored with a crayon that said, Happy Birthday Dad because he didn’t have any money.”
Barry King: “Before I die I would like to know who did this to my son and If it is or isn’t Christopher Busch, I will still hope that it is solved, but I don’t like being stonewalled and I don’t like getting no explanation for the delays. If this was Jimmy Hoffa, it would have been solved by now.”
Erica McAvoy: “There is never closure and there never will be, but they deserve justice.”
