New state unit helps solve missing-persons mysteries

Michigan State Police Missing Persons Coordination Unit formed

DETROIT – The year was 1979 -- that's the last time family members saw 14-year-old Carla Tucker. Then there's 14-year-old Bina Emery. She went missing in 1988. Her body was found in the Detroit River.

Their disappearances are unrelated, but in both cases their bodies were not identified until this week.

That's because Michigan State Police just set up a new unit that solely focuses on missing persons and unidentified remains.

Sgt. Sarah Krebs heads the Michigan State Police Missing Persons Coordination Unit.

"Really, the unit was formed to connect the long-term missing-persons cases with the unidentified remains cases in our state and across the nation," said Krebs.

DNA technology wasn't around when the two girls went missing, and even today, it's not common practice to take a DNA sample before a body is buried.

"The biggest problem for us is that the remains have been buried without a DNA sample and these two cases are really good examples of that," said Krebs.

The new unit was able to get funding to exhume Bina Emery's body and make a positive ID, nearly 30 years after she went missing.

"It gives the family of missing people a lot of hope that we're not going to forget about their cases and we're going to do everything we can to try to find their missing loved one," said Krebs.

Anyone searching for a missing loved one is encouraged to attend "Missing in Michigan." It's a free DNA collection event May 16 at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, click here.


About the Author:

You can watch Kimberly Gill weekdays anchoring Local 4 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. and streaming live at 10 p.m. on Local 4+. She's an award-winning journalist who finally called Detroit home in 2014. Kim has won Regional Emmy Awards, and was part of the team that won the National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast in 2022.