Troy Tyo [REMAINS DISCOVERED] from Allegan, MI since Dec 4, 2007

[The Kitchen Guy]

Man leaves for work, not seen since

Link: WOOD-TV Grand Rapids, MI

ALLEGAN -- An Allegan County man is missing, and authorities are investigating a suspicious scene near his home.

Troy Paul Tyo left for work at 6 a.m. Monday and hasn't been seen since, causing concern for his family and the sheriff's office to investigate.

He left his home on Sarah Street in Allegan to go to work at the Perrigo Warehouse. But he never made it, and he also never picked his kids up from school later that day. His wife told investigators that this is out of character for him.

A search then began and led investigators to that suspcious scene in the Dumont Creek Estates in Allegan Township. That is where investigators found some blood.

"It does appear that some form of trauma did appear to an individual in this area," said Lt. Frank Baker of the Allegan County Sheriff's Department. "Some sort of altercation occurred there, or some type of incident involving someone sustaining some injury. There is evidence of trauma."

Tyo was wearing dark blue cargo pants, camouflage boots, a Perrigo sweatshirt, a light blue jean jacket and a black baseball cap with gold lettering.

He was driving a 2005 white GMC Sierra extended cab pickup truck with Michigan license plate number 2JBB86. The truck has a Harley-Davidson sticker in the rear window and a red-white-and-blue sticker in the windshield.

If you have any information, you are asked to call the Allegan County Sheriff's Department.

[The Kitchen Guy]

Troy Tyo is also a hemophiliac, so the fact that there is evidence of
blood involved is especially alarming.

[Grande]

Originally Posted by The Kitchen Guy

Troy Tyo is also a hemophiliac, so the fact that there is evidence of
blood involved is especially alarming.

Agreed.



Thanks for posting this thread!

[The Kitchen Guy]

The story is in the Missing Found forum.

Body found inside truck; 2 held for murder

Link: WOOD Television Grand Rapids, MI

Posted: Dec 8, 2007 10:43 PM EST
Updated: Dec 9, 2007 03:43 PM EST

VAN BUREN COUNTY - A man and woman are being held on an open murder charge after a body was found in a burnt truck that matched the description of one owned by a missing Allegan man.

The Allegan County Sheriff's Department told 24 Hour News 8 the interior of the truck was burnt, and there was a considerable amount of blood at the scene.

Authorities also confirmed the woman, 38, and the man, 28, were acquaintances of Troy Tyo, the man missing since he left for work at Perrigo Monday morning. Additionally, police searched Tyo's ex-wife's house in Gobles.

An autopsy is being performed on the body, and a confirmed identity will be released afterwards.

The man and woman in custody are scheduled for arraignment Monday afternoon. 24 Hour News 8 will continue to follow this story.

[Roamer]

Used to live in Michigan, and visited relatives many times in Allegan.

I was surprised to see it on the thread.

[The Kitchen Guy]

Look in the Found forum and you'll probably be even more unpleasantly surprised.

I used to live in Jennison - and was surprised to have TWO missing person reports from the area. While the Tyo case appears to be on its way to resolution, the other is not so far.

[Roamer]

Thanks, KG, I'll do that.

[The Kitchen Guy]

Tyo's attacker lay in wait, police say
Posted by Gazette News Service December 10, 2007 15:34PM

ALLEGAN -- The new husband of a Gobles woman was waiting to attack her ex-husband, Troy Tyo, with a ball bat and a knife as Tyo went to dump trash last week, detectives said this morning in court.

Detectives this morning sought murder warrants in Allegan County District Court against Kristofer Thompson and his wife, Dena, for the killing of Tyo, a father of two caught in a bitter custody dispute.

Police say ongoing strife between Tyo and his ex-wife, Dena Thompson, led up to the killing.

Tyo's body was found Sunday in a Van Buren County gravel pit, inside his white extended-cab pickup truck, about one mile from Thompson's home.

Allegan County sheriff's Detective Morgan Sullivan, while testifying for the warrant, said Kristofer Thompson started talking with investigators this morning and "indicated he had hit Tyo with a baseball bat and later cut his throat."

Dena Thompson knew what was going to happen and had "requested that her current husband kill the ex-husband," Sullivan said.

The couple was expected to be arraigned this afternoon in Allegan County District Court.

Court records show a bitter divorce between Tyo and his ex-wife, Dena Thompson, chiefly over custody of the couple's two children, ages 10 and 6.

The Tyo and Thompson were expected in court as recently as Nov. 21, but Dena Thompson a day before earlier an effort to get sole physical custody and change the children's school district from Allegan to Gobles, where she lives with Kristofer Thompson. She also wanted Tyo to have only supervised parenting time.

Court records show Troy Tyo and Dena Thompson were divorced in September 2006. Even before the divorce, in February 2006, Tyo accused his then-wife of having an affair with Kristofer Thompson and wanted a judge to prevent the children from being in Thompson's presence.

After the divorce, the strife between the two worsened, particularly in July when Dena Thompson accused Tyo of slapping one of their children. Tyo's parenting time was briefly suspended but was reinstated after a child-protective-services worker dismissed the complaint.

[The Kitchen Guy]

Ex-wife, current husband, 2 more accused in Allegan murder

Link: WOOD Television, Grand Rapids, MI

By DEE MORRISON

ALLEGAN - Four people, including the ex-wife and her current husband, are implicated in the death of Troy Tyo, a man missing since he left for work December 3.

Tyo's ex-wife Dena Thompson, 38, and her current husband Kristofer Thompson, 28, were arraigned on open murder charges in court Monday afternoon.

When Tyo's family and friends arrived at the 57th District courthouse, the Allegan County Sheriff's Department pulled them aside to tell them two more people were under arrest in connection with Tyo's murder.

Their names will be released at their Tuesday arraignment. "They were not associated with Troy at all," said Lt. Scott Mattice. "They were close associates of Kris and his wife."

And, police say, more arrests could still come.

Dena Thompson, known as Winky, and her husband Kristofer were arraigned by a video hook-up to the Allegan County Jail, where they're being held. Family, friends and co-workers were in the courtroom to watch the proceedings, and many were crying very hard.

She's being held on a $1 million bond.

Authorities said things are moving quickly since two hunters found Tyo's missing pickup truck near a Van Buren County gravel bit, partially burned and with a body inside.

An autopsy will determine the identification of the body, but investigators believe it is the 49-year-old Tyo.

The "why" is something family and friends can't understand. Squeezed into a courtroom too small to hold them, everyone in town seems to know the former volunteer firefighter who grew up in Allegan.

Tyo's best friend, Mayor Rick Day, spoke outside the court. "I can't imagine what kind of sick individual would kill anybody, much less the father of their children."

24 Hour News 8 searched the September 2006 divorce records between Tyo and Dena Thompson. Tyo accused her of having an affair with the man who's now her husband, Kristofer Thompson.

In July 2007, she tried to get sole custody of their two daughters, reporting Tyo hit one girl. Child Protective Services investigated and dismissed the complaint, and on November 20, a judge denied her request for custody.

Two weeks later, Tyo disappeared.

Police said they don't think this was a spur-of-the-moment crime.

[The Kitchen Guy]

Four Suspects Connected to Dissaperance and Murder Of Troy Tyo

December 10, 2007 - 6:40PM
Link: WWMT Television, Kalamazoo, MI

ALLEGAN (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - There are now four people under arrest for the disappearance and murder of Troy Tyo. We have been following this case since last Monday when Tyo left for work and never came home.

A man led police to Tyo's missing truck this weekend in a ditch near Gobles. Police also found a body in the partially burned pickup. Two suspects in Tyo's death were in court Monday. Two others are in jail.

The two arraigned in court Monday were Tyo's ex wife and her husband. The two new arrests officers say Tyo didn't even know them.

A tearful family crowded into the courtroom Monday afternoon. Getting a look at Dena and Kris Thompson. The two people officers say crafted and executed a plan to murder Troy Tyo.

“This is one of the most disturbing cases I've worked,” said Lt. Scott Matice of the Allegan County Sheriff's Department.

Friends of Troy are in disbelief and shocked once over the murder itself. “It's absolutely an outrage,” said friend Rick Day.

When officers informed them just before Monday afternoon's arraignment. Two new arrests. Two people they say were friends of Kris and Dena. But people Troy never knew personally. “I know everybody however many it ends up being will be brought to justice,” said Day.

Justice is the thing neighbors are looking for too. “ I hope they get everything they got coming to them,” said neighbor Jeff Smith

In the hearts of many are kids who got caught up in the middle of a sad story. Two children whose father was murdered and whose mother and stepfather are now in jail accused of the crime. “The kids lose both parents, it's a very sad situation,” said Smith

Officers said they believe that only one of the two people arraigned today were involved in the ditching of Tyo's truck. As for the two new suspects they will be in court tomorrow, and officers are saying that more arrests are possible.

There are several locations of interest in this case. First, Troy Tyo lives in Allegan and his truck was left in a ditch just southeast of Gobles. Secondly, both Tyo and one of the suspects, Kristofer Thompson, were co-workers at the Perrigo plant in Allegan.

According to records, Tyo and his ex-wife had been in court as recently as last month over a custody dispute. Since divorcing in 2006, they shared custody of their two daughters. According to filings from the case, Tyo was accused of slapping his daughter, 9, in the face last July during a family outing. This led to an investigation by child protective services. Tyo's attorney said the investigation was closed less than a month later with no charges against him.

During that time Thompson filed a motion seeking full custody of the couple's two daughters, and asking for child support from Tyo, according to Troy's attorney. That custody case was dismissed on Nov. 20th less than two weeks before Tyo went missing.

Investigators are not commenting on a motive for this murder, but they did tell us they are aware of the custody battle. In fact, Tyo's attorney says he met with detectives about this case.

Friends and family are also saying they believe the court fight could have been the spark that led to this crime. “It's traumatic and a terrible situation, and we're keeping the children first and foremost to get them as much professional help and love around them and hope for the best,” said Day.

As of Monday night Tyo's daughters are staying with family members.