FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Ahead of a planned meeting on Wednesday night, Farmington Hills police have released a sketch of a person of interest in connection with the beating death of a man whose body was found at a park earlier this month.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report:
Watch Whitney Burney's video report:
Police released the sketch on Wednesday and also identified the victim. The victim was identified as 65-year-old Richard Allen Harris of Farmington Hills, and said his death was ruled a homicide.
Watch the latest update from Farmington Hills PD in the video player below:
Harris' body was found in the Woodland Hills Park on May 3.
Police say some witnesses observed the person of interest in the Woodland Hills Park on May 3 prior to Harris' arrival, and others placed him in proximity to the victim.
"At this point, we don't know if this person was involved in the offense or if this was another witness that has just yet to come forward, but we believe that anyone that was in the park or in that area today may have a piece of information that would be useful for us in this investigation," said Farmington Hills Police Chief John Piggott.
The person of interest is described as a man, 20-30 years old, average height, slender build with black hair, a scruffy beard, and olive-toned skin.
Farmington Hills police are stepping up patrols at city parks as detectives continue to investigate the beating death of a 64-year-old man whose body was found at Woodland Hills Park on Sunday.
"Our investigators are working tirelessly on this. Our entire investigative bureau is focused on this homicide investigation right now. All of our resources are dedicated to it and certainly we understand the concerns that our public has related to the safety in Farmington Hills and certainly to traveling within our parks," said Chief Piggot. "At this point, our patrol officers, investigators are spending a lot of time in and around the park monitoring them, trying to provide a sense of security to our residents who utilize these parks on a frequent basis."
The chief said they do not know if the victim was targeted at random or if the suspect knew the victim.
Watch a previous report from Darren Cunningham in the video below:
John Ferguson said he comes to Woodland Hills Park for peace, quiet and fresh air. But now, that isolation is eerie.
Earlier this month, a man was found dead along the very trail where Ferguson came to enjoy nature.
"It’s a pretty trail. It’s quiet. There’s hardly anybody ever here. That’s what makes it a little concerning to come out here now because you usually maybe see one person on the trail, sometimes nobody," he told 7 News Detroit.
The medical examiner’s office said the man died from multiple blunt force trauma.
Ferguson asked, "Was it random? Was the body left here?"
Previous report: Farmington Hills police launch homicide investigation after body found on park trail
The silence from officials is fueling anxiety online. Ferguson raised several of those questions on Channel 7's Facebook page, wondering about the nature of the crime.
"Were they attacked? Were they walking with somebody and they got in an argument? Domestic situation, ya know? It’d help to know some of that stuff, so you can assess your level of concern to come back out here right now by yourself or for kids to come out here," Ferguson expressed.
Police Chief John Piggott calls this incident "very rare" for Farmington Hills. To put the community at ease, he is increasing police presence in all city parks.
"That’s not going to be many people. There’s not many houses that have visibility to the trail. There’s not many people out here at any given time," Ferguson said.
“Why aren't the police answering any questions? Why can’t they say anything?" Ferguson asked. “I understand yeah, maybe you can’t get into super specifics but...."
The Farmington Hills Police Department advised people to be aware of their surroundings, report suspicious activity and asked anyone with information to call.
