By Mark Bashore, WKAR
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-974158.mp3
HOWELL, MI –
In 1990, Paige Renkoski of Okemos disappeared in broad daylight along I-96 near Fowlerville. Various authorities spent about 15 years on the case, but the trail went cold. Though neither a body nor remains have ever been found, police consider the case a homicide. Two years ago, a trio of retired police professionals joined forces to re-launch the investigation. As WKAR's Mark Bashore reports, their restlessness and sense of service could still lead to the closure the Renkoski family has been seeking for 21 years.
AUDIO:
Mike Frayer spent 25 years in police work in southeast Michigan. During the last 20, he's been a risk consultant, a teacher and in the antiques business. He's thought about retirement, but never for too long.
"I'm no good at being retired," he explains. "Of all the things I've done, I'm the worst at being retired."
That's a good thing for family members of victims of four unsolved Livingston County crimes, including Paige Renkoski's. About two years ago, Frayer got a call from a former Wayne county colleague, Bill Lanahan. The 45-year law enforcement veteran proposed forming a cold case team, working without pay out of the Livingston County sheriff's office. With third member Joe Morrow, the group calls itself the "over the hill gang." Lanahan says their mindset is revealed in the name they've assigned the Renkoski case.
"We've named it resolution' and we'd like to give her mother and her family some resolution," he says. "At this point, they don't have that and hopefully, we'll be able to provide that for em."
The team's put in a combined 135 years of Michigan police work, from Oak Park to Mackinac Island. The 67-year old Frayer says "the chase" still packs a rush.
"It's the hunt and you know, it's the chase and to find what has been hidden for 20 years and, you know, I'll make no denial there's an adrenaline rush there," he says.
The team says a slew of recent tips is giving them more momentum. One of them has triggered the team's next search about 10 miles northeast of Fowlerville in a few weeks.
MELISSA INGELLS: "And Mark joins us now for the latest on the cold case team. Good morning, Mark.
MARK BASHORE: "Good morning, Melissa."
INGELLS: "The Renkoski case has been in the news more recently because of the activities of these cold case investigators, so if you could bring us up to speed on what's happening?"
BASHORE: "Sure. Well, the most recent developments have centered around a ground-penetrating radar unit, it looks like a lawn mower, that the team's only had a short time. That and a much publicized map of unknown origin that someone drew and anonymously got to State Police in Lansing a dozen years ago. With info from the map, they used the ground radar unit two weeks ago to search an area north of Fowlerville, without success. But Mike Frayer tells me the publicity led to about two dozen new tips, and they're following up on about six of those. The device is on loan and is shared by various jurisdictions. So the Conway Township search for remains that I mentioned earlier will be a conventional search."
INGELLS: "So how confident is this cold-case team that they'll crack this case?"
BASHORE: "I asked Detective Frayer to scale that 1-10 and he put it at around a 7. Less than a year ago, he says he'd put it at about a 4, but with the new tips, Frayer calls himself guardedly optimistic.'"
INGELLS: "Well, what will it take to actually solve the Renkoski case?"
BASHORE: "These guys say that their best chance at solving this case stems from somebody suddenly remembering something--a fragment of an encounter or something someone said--that could turn into something. Here's how Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte explains it."
"These type of situations have a tendency to bring people back to, Ok, maybe this is important. Maybe I didn't think it was important at the time. Maybe it's important. I'm gonna call in and see if I can help out,' he explains. "We're always optimistic that that one tip that comes in could be the one that we're looking for, so .that's what motivates these guys and that's what motivates us to keep this case open."
BASHORE: "And by the way, Paige Renkoski's mother Ardis tells me this team has taken the investigation a step further with their thoroughness and dedication."
INGELLS: "Thank you, Mark."
BASHORE: "Sure, Melissa."