ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The death of the former Ann Arbor police oversight commissioner is being investigated as a homicide.
Jude Walton was found Thursday (April 13) during a welfare check at a home on Chapin Street. Ann Arbor Interim Police Chief Aimee Metzer said there was evidence of a break-in at the backdoor. Walton was found dead in the living room.
UPDATE: Man faces murder charge after ex-Ann Arbor police oversight commissioner found dead
The 51-year-old is being remembered as a pillar of the community.
“Its hard to put into words what Jude meant to this community,” Walton’s neighbor Nina Jackson Levin said. “She’s the old guard of Ann Arbor.”
Neighbors say safety has been a growing concern in the area, referring to loitering people and drug traffic in their yards and streets.
“This is obviously really unsettling and infuriating,” said neighbor Jess Francis.
In addition to serving on the police oversight committee, Walton dedicated her career to helping the homeless population by serving as the director of employee experience at Avalon Housing.