On Saturday, police officers responded to a call reporting two people fighting. When the authorities arrived in the area, they found four cousins dead.
The four cousins were identified as Sarah Tanner, Laura Tanner, Forrest Sampson, and Neil Sampson.
Recent news says that the ex-fiancée of Laura Tanner, Raymond Bailey, is the suspect to the horrendous killing of the four Michigan cousins.
The police investigation
On the Facebook page of Sumpter Township Police Department, the incident was described as a quadruple homicide. All of the victims had gunshot wounds and were then dead when the police came.
The incident happened on the evening of August 15, Saturday.
The Crime Response Team of the Michigan State Police Forensic Division assisted in the investigation. Not long after the initial inquiry, detectives identified Raymond Lee Bailey as the suspect. He is Laura's ex-fiancée.
The suspect allegedly confessed to the crime.
Officials were able to learn that Bailey was heading to the Upper Peninsula. Shortly after that, police were told that the suspect admitted the killing through many people via phone calls and text messages. Police quickly sent out a statewide search for Bailey.
Suspect turns himself to authorities.
During the search of the police for Bailey, his car was left near Bay City. At around ten in the evening, on August 16, Bailey turned himself into the Bay County Sheriff's Office.
The Sumpter Township Police Department took the suspect into custody last Monday at 10:30 am. The suspect's charges are still pending and will be resolved by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.
The suspect's history
Aside from being one of the victims' ex-fiancée, Bailey has also been charged with assault and domestic violence.
According to a report from WXYZ Detroit, the charges were filed by Laura last fall. The specific charges were Assault with Intent to Do Great Bodily Harm and Domestic Violence Assault.
However, these charges were dropped when Laura did not show up in court.
The report from WXYZ Detroit also described Laura and the suspect's relationship as rocky.
The family's grief
As the families are waiting for the suspect's formal charges, they are also preparing to lay the four cousins to rest.
A GoFundMe page has been put up to gather funds for the funeral expenses of the four cousins. On the page, the cousins are described as fiercely loyal to each other and their families.
Laura and Sarah are sisters, and Neil and Forrest are brothers.
