Grand jury investigates new Oakland County Child killer suspect

(WXYZ) - The 7 Action News Investigators have uncovered new information in the Oakland County Child Killer Case.

Sources tell 7 Action News Investigator Heather Catallo that the Oakland County Grand Jury is actively investigating a new suspect – and that person is still alive.

In 1976 and 1977, Mark Stebbins, Jill Robinson, Kristine Mihelich, and Timothy King were abducted, held for days, and murdered. Their killer – known as the Oakland County Child Killer - has never been caught.

We have also learned that a man who publicly became known in 2009 as a promising suspect is not the focus of the grand jury that’s been convened in Oakland County.

Christopher Brian Busch was a convicted pedophile, who lived in Bloomfield Hills before he committed suicide in 1978. Many of the victim’s family members obtained compelling information about Busch – but now we’ve learned the grand jury has been hard at work on someone else, who’s still alive.

Last summer – the Oakland County prosecutor convened a citizen’s grand jury to hear testimony and examine evidence in the child killer case. 

The grand jury operates in secret and has the power to compel witnesses to appear. Legal experts say it’s a powerful investigative tool – but grand juries cannot indict someone who’s dead.

According to the law, state grand juries can be convened for six months, and extended another six months.  That means the 1 year mark is fast approaching on the Oakland County grand jury.  

It’s not clear if a new grand jury will be convened to continue looking at the evidence against the suspect.

Kristine Mihelich’s sister Erica McAvoy says she’s not surprised to learn the grand jury is looking at someone who’s alive.

“Given conversations that I had with those close to law enforcement over the last 9 months, just based on that, it led me to believe that in fact they had someone of interest, that very well could still be alive, and also given the fact that they wanted a new DNA sample from us as siblings as well as parents lead me to believe again that they were on to something,” said McAvoy.

McAvoy says she hopes the grand jury investigation will finally give the families of all four victims some sense of peace.

“My ultimate hope is justice is served. There will never be closure, for the families who have lived through this tragedy, and continue to live through it.  All I can say, we just simply want to know why this happened,” said McAvoy.

A second grand jury in Wayne County has also been convened on the child killer case. It’s not clear yet what the results of either grand jury will be.