Many questions remain after utility worker discovers body buried in shallow grave in Detroit

Detroit police, FBI called in to investigate

DETROIT – A utility worker discovered a body buried in a shallow grave on Detroit’s east side on Wednesday.

The discovery occurred Wednesday, Jan. 4, on Hildale Street near 7 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue. Police have confirmed they are the human remains of a female.

Detroit police and the FBI were called out after a utility worker reported seeing a body part sticking out of a shallow grave behind an abandoned home. There are several abandoned homes on the block.

Neighbors who were not home when everything started happening told Local 4 that the abandoned homes on the block have been a plague for a long time.

Police have not released the woman’s identity, age, how she died or how long the body was in the shallow grave before it was discovered. Those questions are expected to be answered by the medical examiner, but a timeline was not available.

Previous story: Utility worker finds body buried in shallow grave on Detroit’s east side


About the Authors:

Jacqueline Francis is an award-winning journalist who joined the WDIV team in September 2022. Prior to Local 4, she reported for the NBC affiliate in West Michigan. When she’s not on the job, Jacqueline enjoys taking advantage of all the wonders Michigan has to offer, from ski trips up north to beach days with her dog, Ace.

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.