A hunter was fatally shot in a Michigan state park during the 2018 deer season, allegedly by two men who have been charged with murder.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thomas Olson and Robert Rodway were arraigned Thursday on charges of felony murder and using a firearm during a crime.
The body of Chong Moua Yang was found in the Rose Lake State Wildlife Area, northeast of Lansing, on Nov. 16, 2018.
The family of Yang, 68, discovered his body after following two sets of footprints leading from his car, which was parked in a parking lot. Yang often hunted in the area and his wife became alarmed when he failed to return home.
A shotgun, headlamp, knife, backpack, and hunting strap were stolen from Yang.
Olson and Rodway were arrested Wednesday night by a state police fugitive team after witness testimony and a plastic bag with hunting spray were recovered near the scene that implicated the pair.
“With the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, other local agencies, and prosecutors, the Bath Township Police Department gathered evidence, established a timeline, and located the defendants,” Nessel said.
Rodway and Olson were jailed without bonds. A probable cause conference will be held on Jan. 5.
According to court records, Olson did not have an attorney Thursday afternoon.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Rodway’s lawyer, Matt Newburg, said Rodway is innocent.
“Mr. Rodway had absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Yang’s death,” Newburg said.