The Oakland County Child Killer: The Predator Who Held Michigan in Terror

On March 16, 1977, Timothy King told his mother he was walking to a nearby drugstore to buy candy. The 11-year-old promised he'd be back in 20 minutes. He never came home.

Six days later, his body was found in a ditch in Livonia, Michigan — carefully laid out, freshly bathed, and dressed in clean clothes. His skateboard sat nearby, positioned as if someone wanted it to be found.

Timothy was the fourth victim of a predator who haunted Oakland County, Michigan. The killer abducted children, held them captive for days, cared for them in a twisted parody of parenting, then murdered them and displayed their bodies like mannequins.

Nearly 50 years later, the Oakland County Child Killer remains unidentified.

The Victims

Between February 1976 and March 1977, four children disappeared from the affluent suburbs northwest of Detroit:

Mark Stebbins, 12, vanished on February 15, 1976, after leaving an American Legion hall in Ferndale. Four days later, his body was found in a Southfield parking lot. He had been sexually assaulted and suffocated. His clothes were neatly laid beside him.

Jill Robinson, 12, ran away from home after an argument on December 22, 1976. Her body was found four days later along I-75 in Troy. She'd been shot in the face with a shotgun. Like Mark, she had been bathed and redressed. Her bicycle was found nearby, carefully positioned.

Kristine Mihelich, 10, disappeared on January 2, 1977, after leaving a 7-Eleven in Berkley. Nineteen days later, her body was discovered in a snowbank in Franklin Village. She had been suffocated. Her clothing was clean and neatly arranged.

Timothy King, 11, was the final victim. After buying candy and a skateboard magazine on March 16, 1977, he vanished. Six days later, his body was found in Livonia. He'd been sexually assaulted and suffocated. His mother later noticed something chilling: Timothy's favorite meal — fried chicken — had been his last meal. Someone had fed him exactly what he loved before killing him.

The Pattern

The killer's method was disturbingly consistent:

1. Children were abducted in broad daylight or early evening
2. They were held captive for 4-19 days
3. They were bathed, fed, and kept in clean clothes
4. They were murdered (suffocation or gunshot)
5. Their bodies were carefully displayed in public locations
6. No demands were ever made

The care taken with the victims suggested someone with access to a private location — a house, not an apartment. The meticulous grooming indicated someone obsessed with cleanliness and control.

The Investigation

Oakland County created a task force that eventually grew to 200 investigators. They conducted over 18,000 interviews and followed up on 11,000 tips.

Despite the massive effort, no suspect was ever charged.

Several individuals emerged over the years:

Christopher Busch, a convicted child molester, died by suicide in 1978. He lived in Bloomfield Village — the area where victims' bodies were found. Polygraph tests were inconclusive, and evidence linking him to the crimes was circumstantial.

Arch Sloan, a Busch associate, claimed Busch confessed to him. But Sloan was an unreliable witness with his own criminal history.

James Vincent Gunnels, a former Busch housemate, admitted in 2019 that he saw Kristine Mihelich at Busch's home. He passed a polygraph — but no charges were filed.

In 2012, investigators compared DNA from Timothy King's body to samples from Busch. The results were inconclusive.

The Suspects That Got Away

The case was plagued by investigative failures:

• Evidence was lost or contaminated
• Potential suspects weren't properly investigated
• Wealthy families may have shielded individuals from scrutiny
• Interdepartmental rivalries hindered cooperation
• Critical leads were ignored or dismissed

In 2006, the Detroit Free Press reported that Christopher Busch's father, a GM executive, may have used his influence to shield his son from investigation.

The Legacy

The Oakland County Child Killer case transformed how America thought about child safety.

Before 1976, children roamed freely in suburban neighborhoods. After Timothy King's murder, parents kept their kids indoors. School districts implemented stricter security. The term "stranger danger" entered the American vocabulary.

Timothy King's mother, Marion, became an advocate for missing children. She appeared on America's Most Wanted and lobbied for better child protection laws.

In 2005, Michigan established the Children's Task Force to review cold cases. In 2009, investigators announced they were using advanced DNA technology to reexamine evidence.

But the killer's identity remains unknown.

Theories

Was it one killer or multiple? Some investigators believe the similarities point to a single perpetrator. Others argue the differences — Mark and Jill were displayed outdoors in winter, while Kristine and Timothy were found in spring — suggest copycat killers.

Was it a pedophile ring? Some victims' families believe the murders were connected to a child pornography operation. In the 1970s, Oakland County was home to several suspected pedophile networks.

Was it a police officer or someone in authority? The killer's ability to move freely, display bodies in public, and evade capture for so long suggests familiarity with law enforcement tactics.

The Investigation Today

In 2012, the Michigan State Police took over the case from Oakland County. They've continued to follow leads and test DNA evidence.

In 2019, James Gunnels' polygraph confession reignited interest — but prosecutors determined there wasn't enough evidence to charge anyone.

The families of the victims continue to seek answers. Timothy King's sister, Cathy Broad, runs a website dedicated to solving the case.

Why It Remains Unsolved

The Oakland County Child Killer case embodies the failures of 1970s forensic science and police work:

• No DNA databases
• Limited coordination between jurisdictions
• Evidence handling protocols that wouldn't meet modern standards
• Potential interference from wealthy families

But the biggest mystery isn't the lack of evidence — it's the killer's sudden stop.

After Timothy King, the abductions ceased.

Did the killer move? Die? Get arrested for another crime?

Or did he simply disappear into the suburbs, blending into the very community he terrorized?

Conclusion

For nearly 50 years, four families have lived without answers. Four children — Mark, Jill, Kristine, and Timothy — were stolen, cared for in a grotesque mockery of love, and discarded like broken toys.

The Oakland County Child Killer understood how to hunt, how to hide, and how to vanish.

And somewhere, he may still be out there — an aging predator in a quiet suburb, carrying the secrets of four lost children.

If you have any information about the Oakland County Child Killer case, contact the Michigan State Police Cold Case Team at 855-MICH-TIP (855-642-4847).