On April 17, 2015 the bodies of three people were discovered inside a burned-out vehicle on a remote gravel road in Doyle Township, Michigan. One of the victims was 42-year-old Jody Hutchinson. The other victims were identified as Carrie Nelson, 31, and Heather Aldrich, 25.

Investigators say the killings were linked to a drug transaction that turned violent. Authorities arrested several people in the case, including Kenneth Brunke, and later arrested a 47-year-old man from Manistique named Garry Cordell, who was identified as a central figure. Cordell pleaded guilty in Schoolcraft County to charges related to the deaths and received a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. A woman identified as Carlson was also charged but died while in custody; murder charges against another defendant were later dismissed.