Topline: A 43-year-old cold case in Michigan has been solved after forensic genealogy identified the man authorities say kidnapped, raped, and murdered a 16-year-old girl in 1983.
Published: May 5, 2026 12:00 pm ET
Must Read
BLUMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI — Michigan State Police say a 43-year-old cold case has finally been solved after modern DNA testing identified the man responsible for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of 16-year-old Sheri Jo Elliott. Elliott was reported missing on Nov. 16, 1983, after she did not return home from school in Flint. Authorities said she was last seen waiting for the bus, and police and residents spent days searching the area for her.
Four days later, Elliott’s body was found along a rural road in Blumfield Township. Investigators said she had been shot multiple times and sexually assaulted. The case eventually went cold because the forensic technology available at the time was too limited to identify the killer.
According to WDIV ClickOnDetroit, detectives reopened the case in 2023 and worked with the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division and Othram Labs to use forensic-grade genome sequencing on the evidence. That process produced a profile for the unknown suspect and eventually led investigators to Roni Collins, 75, of Grand Blanc.
Police said Collins died by suicide in January 2026 before investigators could obtain a voluntary DNA sample from him. During the autopsy, authorities collected DNA that was later analyzed and matched evidence recovered from Elliott in 1983, identifying Collins as the man responsible, according to investigators.
Michigan State Police said Collins will never face prosecution because of his death, but detectives believe the identification gives Elliott’s family and the wider community long-awaited answers. Authorities also said students in Western Michigan University’s Cold Case Program helped by reorganizing and digitizing decades of investigative material tied to the case.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Michigan Cold Case Solved 43 Years After Teen Was Kidnapped, Raped, And Killed
A 43-year-old cold case in Michigan has been solved after forensic genealogy identified the man authorities say kidnapped, raped, and murdered a 16-year-old girl in 1983.
By Silvia Torres
Published: May 5, 2026 12:00 pm ET
BLUMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI — Michigan State Police say a 43-year-old cold case has finally been solved after modern DNA testing identified the man responsible for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of 16-year-old Sheri Jo Elliott. Elliott was reported missing on Nov. 16, 1983, after she did not return home from school in Flint. Authorities said she was last seen waiting for the bus, and police and residents spent days searching the area for her.
Four days later, Elliott’s body was found along a rural road in Blumfield Township. Investigators said she had been shot multiple times and sexually assaulted. The case eventually went cold because the forensic technology available at the time was too limited to identify the killer.
According to WDIV ClickOnDetroit, detectives reopened the case in 2023 and worked with the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division and Othram Labs to use forensic-grade genome sequencing on the evidence. That process produced a profile for the unknown suspect and eventually led investigators to Roni Collins, 75, of Grand Blanc.
Police said Collins died by suicide in January 2026 before investigators could obtain a voluntary DNA sample from him. During the autopsy, authorities collected DNA that was later analyzed and matched evidence recovered from Elliott in 1983, identifying Collins as the man responsible, according to investigators.
Michigan State Police said Collins will never face prosecution because of his death, but detectives believe the identification gives Elliott’s family and the wider community long-awaited answers. Authorities also said students in Western Michigan University’s Cold Case Program helped by reorganizing and digitizing decades of investigative material tied to the case.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Michigan Cold Case Solved 43 Years After Teen Was Kidnapped, Raped, And Killed
A 43-year-old cold case in Michigan has been solved after forensic genealogy identified the man authorities say kidnapped, raped, and murdered a 16-year-old girl in 1983.
By Silvia Torres
Published: May 5, 2026 12:00 pm ET
BLUMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI — Michigan State Police say a 43-year-old cold case has finally been solved after modern DNA testing identified the man responsible for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of 16-year-old Sheri Jo Elliott. Elliott was reported missing on Nov. 16, 1983, after she did not return home from school in Flint. Authorities said she was last seen waiting for the bus, and police and residents spent days searching the area for her.
Four days later, Elliott’s body was found along a rural road in Blumfield Township. Investigators said she had been shot multiple times and sexually assaulted. The case eventually went cold because the forensic technology available at the time was too limited to identify the killer.
According to WDIV ClickOnDetroit, detectives reopened the case in 2023 and worked with the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division and Othram Labs to use forensic-grade genome sequencing on the evidence. That process produced a profile for the unknown suspect and eventually led investigators to Roni Collins, 75, of Grand Blanc.
Police said Collins died by suicide in January 2026 before investigators could obtain a voluntary DNA sample from him. During the autopsy, authorities collected DNA that was later analyzed and matched evidence recovered from Elliott in 1983, identifying Collins as the man responsible, according to investigators.
Michigan State Police said Collins will never face prosecution because of his death, but detectives believe the identification gives Elliott’s family and the wider community long-awaited answers. Authorities also said students in Western Michigan University’s Cold Case Program helped by reorganizing and digitizing decades of investigative material tied to the case.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
