Man suspected in Royal Oak father's murder after body found tied up

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The Royal Police Department says a 31-year-old man is being held for the murder of his 73-year-old father who was found dead Thursday evening.

According to the Royal Oak Police, they were called to the 3700 block of Elmhurst when relatives couldn't get in contact with the 73-year-old. When police arrived, they found the man dead inside the home with his hands and legs bound.

Suspicious death being investigated in Royal Oak

Police said the man's car was missing along with his 31-year-old son. Police said they were able to track the car down in Berrien County after a deputy there reported helping the man after he ran out of gas on I-94 near the Indiana border.

Agencies throughout Michigan and neighboring states were looking for the man and the car. 

Gratiot County deputies were called to investigate a person acting erratically at a gas station Thursday evening. According to the Gratiot County Sheriff's Office, workers and customers at the gas station said the man appeared to be under the influence.

Deputies gave him a field test but he was not drunk. However, authorities believed he was under the influence of something so they would not let him leave. Authorities eventually got in contact with Royal Oak police who identified him as the man they were searching for in the murder.

When they tried to arrest him, deputies say he fought them off and punched and kicked his way away from the officers, breaking one of the deputies' nose. 

The sheriff said he then sped off in the car, leading police on a chase through Clinton, Ingham, and Livingston Counties that lasted over an hour.

Deputies deployed spike strips, disabling the cars tires. At some point, the car eventually caught fire and deputies tried to arrest him again.

The Gratiot County Sheriff said he fought with 6 or 7 officers and had to be tased twice before he was finally under control and able to be taken into custody.

No officers were seriously injured and the man was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

The man is in custody as police investigate.

Authorities say the 73-year-old man died earlier this week but could not say exactly when. They also did not offer a possible motive for the murder at this time.

FOX 2 is following this story and will have more information as it becomes available.