Volunteer group finds remains of missing man in VBT field

It took the Michigan Search and Rescue volunteers and their dogs just an hour and a half to find the body of the missing Marcus Esper, 56, of Superior Township who had left his car in the Church of God parking lot in Belleville early last week.
Police in two counties had been looking for the man for days.
Belleville Police Chief Hal Berriman said at 10:46 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, his department found the car of Esper who had been reported missing early March 26 after not coming home March 25. He said there was blood in the vehicle so they treated it like a homicide, although there also were razor blades that indicated he may have cut himself.
Chief Berriman said he and Sgt. Todd Schrecengost had the vehicle towed to a secure location at J&T Towing and got a warrant on March 28 to search the car, which contained the missing man’s cell phone. They interviewed many people but were unsuccessful in finding the man. Michigan State Police and Washtenaw County canines had searched behind the church without success.
Chief Berriman said they were running out of options so at noon on Friday he called Michigan Search and Rescue headquarters in Lansing. He said the volunteers from all over Southeastern Michigan have sniffer and cadaver dogs and offer their service without charge.
Chief Berriman said the group agreed to come at once and were at the site at 3 p.m. Friday when Officer Jeff Wickham was due to come on duty to work with them. Chief Berriman met the volunteers at the church.
They brought 30 volunteers and 15 dogs. A team from Grand Rapids went to the field across Hull Road south of the church and a black lab had a “pop up” response and led them right to the body.
Chief Berriman said the body was in Van Buren Township boundaries so he waited at the scene and turned the case over to VBT Police Sgt. Gueli. Det. Mike Long now is handling the case and talked to the family, said VBT Police Chief Jason Wright.
A missing person alert had been issued the morning after Esper left his home in his white, 2013 Buick LaCrosse and did not come home. He had worked as a truck driver seven years, but did not show up for work on Monday, March 25. He had called in sick the previous Friday.
Chief Berriman said Esper had sold his condo and had been outbid on three houses he wanted to buy. He told his family he was going to a Ypsilanti storage facility to arrange to store their household belongings and then texted his wife that he “couldn’t fix it.”
Chief Berriman said he cannot say with certainty, but the evidence points to suicide. Chief Wright also said evidence points that way, as did the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department which initiated the search.
Chief Wright said the remains were taken to the Wayne County Medical Examiner for a final determination of the cause of death.