By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - Two Kalamazoo-area men face charges punishable by life in prison for the methamphetamine-related murder of a Bloomingdale man.
Cass County Sheriff Joseph M. Underwood Jr. and Prosecutor Victor Fitz announced at a press conference Wednesday morning that Major Crimes Task Force investigators lodged charges against Travis Schmid, 22, of Richland, and Robert William Richards, 31, of Portage, as a result of the March 4 discovery of skeletal remains at a Cranberry Lake Road residence in Marcellus Township.
While forensic testing continues, evidence indicates that the remains are those of Joshua Alton McCreary, 25, of Bloomingdale in Van Buren County.
Schmid faces charges of open murder, felon in possession of a firearm, conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, use of a firearm in commission of a felony (three counts) and habitual offender (fourth offense) for previous convictions (possession of methamphetamines in Calhoun County on Feb. 27, 2004, attempted resisting and obstructing in Kalamazoo County in July 2001 and resisting and obstructing in Kalamazoo County on May 1, 2000.
At Schmid's arraignment Wednesday morning before Fourth District Judge Paul E. Deats, bond was denied. He remains in custody at the Cass County Jail.
Schmid's preliminary examination is scheduled for Thursday, April 28, at 1:30 p.m. at the Law and Courts Building.
Richards is accused of open murder, conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and habitual offender (second offense) for being found guilty of embezzlement over $100 in Kalamazoo County in 1996.
Evidence indicates that McCreary, who had never been reported missing, was shot and burned.
The sheriff and prosecutor said this homicide appears to be linked to methamphetamine manufacture and trafficking, for which the area is a "hub."
This investigation, conducted in cooperation with detectives from Kalamazoo County, included officers from the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET).
In addition, the Michigan State Police fire investigator assigned to the Niles post participated in the investigation.
On March 2, Kalamazoo County investigators received a tip that human remains had been buried on the residential property.
On March 4, Deats issued a search warrant for the Cranberry Lake Street premises.
Investigators spent two days executing the warrant, utilizing earth-moving equipment as well as a Michigan State Police cadaver dog.
Their search resulted in discovery of partial remains verified as human remains by an anthropologist from Michigan State University.
The remains, together with other physical evidence found at the scene, led investigators to conclude that the death resulted from foul play.
The Michigan State Police forensic laboratory in Grand Rapids analyzed the remains to establish the victim's identity.
In the course of executing the March 4 search warrant, officers seized small quantities of controlled substances.
Four persons located in the residence at the time of the search warrant were taken into custody.
This same property had been the subject of a search warrant executed by officers from the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team (CCDET) in 2003.
Results of that search included 42 grams of marijuana and methamphetamine residue.
On April 23, 2004, Randall Reeves was placed on 24 months probation, which included a term in the Cass County Jail.
Reeves, 43, has been bound over to Cass County Circuit Court on several counts stemming from the current investigation, including conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and up to $35,000 in fines.
Reeves, housed in the county jail pending trial on these charges, is also charged with violating probation in the 2004 methamphetamine case.
Debra Guthrie, 45, is charged with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine, a 10-year felony; possession of methamphetamine, a 10-year offense; maintaining a drug house, a two-year offense; and possession of marijuana, a one-year offense.
Guthrie was released from the Cass County Jail on March 9 after posting a $50,000 surety bond
Two other individuals, Terry Ferrell, 49, and Theresa Hines, 31, were charged with frequenting a drug house.
They were released from the Cass County Jail on March 4 after posting cash bonds for their respective charges.
On Thursday, March 10, a subsequent search warrant was issued by Fourth District Court and executed by officers under the supervision of the Major Crimes Task Force.
Execution of the warrant resulted in the discovery of the balance of the remains, which had been forwarded to the Grand Rapids forensic laboratory for further analysis and identification.
Asked about the property's status as a meth hub, Underwood elaborated.
State legislation provides another possible solution. "We've already been in touch with our legislators on several areas where the laws could be approved," Fitz said. "One piece of legislation that is being considered in Michigan would put cold capsules behind the counter. We're encouraging our legislators to pass that as quickly as possible."
Asked whether the previously arrested people were implicated in the death, Underwood answered, "The investigation is ongoing. We have not eliminated anyone. The investigation continues. My opinion is that (Reeves) had to have knowledge that people were on his property. It would be naive to think he had no knowledge that methamphetamines were being cooked on the property."
Do authorities think the three men went to the location and something took place, as opposed to the two charged bringing the third man there intending to kill him?
Fitz also said he would withhold details about where on his body McCreary was shot.
Open murder is punishable by any term of years up to life imprisonment.
Underwood is in the process of tabulating the drug team's first-quarter results.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the Cass County crime tip line at 1-800-462-9328 or the Cass County Sheriff's Office at 269/445-1560.