GENESEE COUNTY (WWJ) - A missing persons case out of Genesee County has developed into a full-fledged murder-suicide investigation after authorities believe 60-year-old Kelly McWhirter was tragically killed by her husband over the weekend before he took his own life.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson told WWJ's Greg Bowman that McWhirter's husband, 57-year-old Steven Higgins, is now dead after shooting himself in the head during an early Wednesday (Oct. 18) morning confrontation with police at a Montrose residence.
He was rushed to surgery at Hurley Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries.
Swanson said on Wednesday that he held out hope that the still-missing McWhirter would be found safe, but acknowledged that Higgins' actions when found by authorities "spoke volumes."
On Thursday morning, Swanson gave a grim update, stating new evidence found in Higgins' truck have lead them to treat the case as "a recovery as a homicide investigation."
"When we started this on Monday of this week, it was 'where is Kelly?'" Swanson stated. "She didn't report to work, she didn't call friends back. We couldn't find her phone when we went to the house and we saw that things were undisturbed, but unusual."
McWhirter and her husband, both of Flushing, where reported missing with the couple last having contact with anyone on Saturday, Oct. 14. According to Swanson, their investigation led them to believe foul play was involved.
Authorities asked the public's help in identifying a gray 2009 Ford F-150 with a license plate of 8PBJ46.
"It wasn't until Tuesday that we were able to get a search warrant go in the house and find that there was a significant amount of blood that was cleaned up in the house, blood in the back of her 2022 Hyundai," Swanson told Bowman.
However, as cases like this unveil, you learn more and more," the sheriff continued.
Then, it all came careening to a sudden confrontation early Wednesday morning when someone spotted the truck and reported to it police.
"We engaged Steve Higgins... and, at four o'clock in the morning, he shot himself in the head. He was the key to find out where Kelly is," Swanson said.
With Higgins dead and the truck in police custody, deputies were able to enact a search warrant on the vehicle where a number of shovels, fresh dirt -- and a bloody body bag were found.
"The body bag was not new -- it was used," Swanson stated. "There was significant blood in the bag. Clearly, there was no body. So we know that based on everything that we have -- sadly, we've not heard from Kelly -- we are treating this as we had from the beginning.
But now we're focused on where can we find her, to give her peace?" Swanson said.
The sheriff confirmed Higgins drove down to Ohio on either southbound US-23 or I-75 and spent Saturday and Sunday in a small town just outside of Sandusky.
Now, law enforcement is sweeping routes over 100 miles long to try and locate McWhirter.
"We know that [Higgins] was at a truck stop in Monroe County on Sunday night around 11 p.m. -- Big Daddy's Truck Stop at US-23," Swanson said. "So when you hear me say our crime scene is from Saginaw County to Ohio and anything in between, that's what I'm dealing with."
The sheriff said efforts to find McWhirter will take "great police work and a lot of luck with a touch of God."
Swanson thanked the public for remaining diligent and reports suspicious activity to the police, stating that it was a tip from an observant resident that lead deputies to Higgins.
"They saw a post on social media that was promoted by journalists, like yourself, and she was able to identify the truck and that's how we found it," he told Bowman. "I'm asking the same thing: if you had seen anything unusual from Saturday, the 14th of October until the 16th Monday [involving] a 2022 White Hyundai Tucson or a 2009 Ford F-1 50 with those chrome side rails on the side of the road, behind a building, something unusual, please call 911."
The sheriff said they believe Higgins acted alone after interviewing the person he saw in Ohio.
McWhirter, who is a retired secretary within Swanson's office and worked at Board of Commissioner's office, had recently filed divorce from Higgins. During her time working closely with Swanson, she did not mention any marriage woes.
"This is a domestic violence at its highest level and what I've come up to believe in my career is there's other people that are in domestic violence cases," Swanson added. "I just beg people that if there's something that's happening, there is help for them.
This was an internal domestic conflict that led to the ultimate price and nobody deserves to be treated without that dignity and respect of a spouse or a significant other," Swanson continued. "You've got to be protected."
Anyone with any information that could help authorities are asked to call 911 immediately.