Missing River Rouge man believed shot to death in Taylor, dumped in Ypsilanti

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WEB UPDATE: CLICK HERE FOR a GoFundMe page to donate to a memorial fund for Mike Stratford.

Police found a body they believe is a River Rouge man missing for more than a week following a motorcycle ride.

Two suspects are in custody the investigation is now spanning multiple communities.

Police in Taylor believe they have found the body of a missing River Rouge man, abandoned in a field in Ypsilanti. Micheal Stratford, a single-father, had been missing since May 7th.

"We believe we have recovered the body of Mr. Stratford on Saturday," said Taylor Police Chief Mary Sclabassi. "We however are still waiting on positive identification on the body."

The investigation led detectives to a home on Brian Street in Taylor. It's there that police believe Stratford may have been visiting two men who were brothers.

"We're told they were friends and it was not unusual for them to get together," Sclabassi said.

Police say the two suspects, ages 41 and 36, shot the man they believe to be Stratford after an fight, later dumping the body in Ypsilanti. They're still working to determine a motive, but say, the death had nothing to do with Stratford's motorcycle discovered at the Taylor home last week.

The 41-year-old suspect turned himself in Saturday while the 36-year-old was arrested Sunday in Detroit. They are now in custody awaiting charges.

"We're still not clear as to what may have led to the shooting other that there was some sort of altercation at the home," Sclabassi said.

Stratford's 3-year-old daughter is now under the care of Stratford's mother who thanks the public for all their tips and support.

The 41-year-old suspect turned himself in Saturday while the 36-year-old was arrested Sunday in Detroit. They are now in custody awaiting charges.