Courtney Hershberger, 29, was found dead inside a mobile home at Franklin Woods mobile home park on South 13th Street in Niles Township on the afternoon of Monday, July 21, 2025. Deputies from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office called the death suspicious; an autopsy later determined she died of a gunshot wound.

Investigators identified 33-year-old Rene Lopez Alvarado of South Bend, Indiana, as someone who had been in a relationship with Hershberger. Alvarado was arrested and charged with open murder and felony firearms; he is being held at the Berrien County Jail on $2 million bond with a GPS tether. The investigation remains active.

If anyone knew Courtney, her routines, or saw anything at Franklin Woods around July 21, 2025, please come forward with information.