Skip to main content

Body of missing 15-year-old found in Detroit cemetery -- What we know

Lawrence Dowl went missing on Aug. 12, 2025

DETROIT – Detroit police are investigating the death of a 15-year-old who went missing on Tuesday.

For about 48 hours, no one knew where Lawrence Dowl was until the grisly discovery on Aug. 14. Police said the discovery started as a call from someone visiting a loved one at a cemetery and finding the body.

The investigation is in its early stages and is being treated as a homicide.

On Thursday afternoon‚ family, friends and police on Detroit’s west side conducted a search before he was identified late that night.

The 15-year-old was found at Mt. Hazel Cemetery on Lahser Road and Clarita Street.

During the search, homicide investigators said officers told them that the body appeared to be someone with a youthful appearance.

Police are working with the Wayne County Medical Examiner to determine the cause of death.

You can watch the presser from Thursday evening below:


Recommended Videos