NEWBERG TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A quiet Thursday morning in Cass County took a grim turn when deputies discovered a man dead and a woman injured inside a Newberg Township home, prompting an active investigation into what officials are calling a “suspicious death.”
According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched around 8 a.m. Thursday to a residence on Born Street near Woodlake Road after concerns were raised during a welfare check. Neighbors had reportedly grown worried when they hadn’t seen or heard from the occupants in some time.
When deputies arrived, they knocked repeatedly but received no response. Concerned for the residents’ safety, they looked through a window — and what they saw immediately set off alarm bells. Inside the kitchen, officers spotted a man lying motionless on the floor.
However, their attempts to enter the home were initially blocked by several dogs, which appeared distressed and agitated. Cass County Animal Control officers were called to assist, helping deputies safely secure the animals so law enforcement could enter the home.
Once inside, deputies confirmed the man was deceased. His name and age have not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin. Authorities have not disclosed the cause of death but said the circumstances appeared suspicious.
In another part of the home, officers found a woman suffering from injuries. The nature and extent of her wounds have not been made public, but she was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Officials have not released her identity or current condition.
Sheriff’s deputies spent much of the day processing the scene, photographing evidence, and interviewing nearby residents to piece together what might have happened. Investigators have not yet confirmed whether there were signs of forced entry, a struggle, or any possible weapon involved.
“The investigation is still in its early stages,” said Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke in a brief statement. “At this time, we are treating this as a suspicious death until further evidence determines otherwise. We ask anyone with information about this incident to come forward.”
The scene has since been cleared, but the home remains taped off as investigators await autopsy results and forensic testing. Detectives from the Cass County Major Crimes Unit and the Michigan State Police are assisting in the case.
Neighbors described the area as a typically quiet, rural community where incidents like this are rare. “You don’t expect something like this to happen here,” said one local resident. “It’s unsettling — we’re all hoping the woman pulls through and that the police can figure out what really happened.”
As authorities continue to piece together the chain of events leading to the man’s death, residents of Newberg Township remain on edge, awaiting answers to a mystery that has shattered the calm of their small Michigan community.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at (269) 445-8644 or submit information anonymously through Michiana Crime Stoppers.
The investigation remains ongoing.