Blissfest attack on Auburn Hills man may have been hate crime, family say
Metro Detroit man hospitalized after brutal attack at Michigan festival
Lonn Hartman, 37, was brutally attacked while attending a Bliss Fest in Harbor Springs, his friends say. He was discovered with two large lacerations around his collar bone early Sunday morning. Friends of Hartman say the attack could be a hate crime.
(FOX 2) - The night before Lonn Hartman's body was found hanging out of his tent, the 37-year-old had sent a text message to his family that he did not feel safe.
More than a week later, following Hartman's assault at a Northern Michigan music festival, he remains in the intensive care unit at a hospital. He hasn't said anything and instead has communicated with family and officials by blinking his eyes.
It's not clear what happened to Hartman, but friends believe he may be the victim of a hate crime.
Big picture view:
Hartman traveled up to Harbor Springs with his dance partner and a few others to perform at Blissfest.
Around Saturday evening on July 11, he went to bed early after the performance. The next morning, according to his friend Terace Garnier, he was found around 9 a.m. "hanging out of his tent."
He had two large cuts near his neck, she said, adding he had lost eight pints of blood.
"'It was looking like he shouldn’t be alive right now' is basically what they were saying with the amount of blood that he lost," Garnier said.
The assault has left the community shaken and Hartman's friends at a loss for words.
"You ask anybody about him and they will tell you he would give you the shirt off of his back for anybody and frankly we’re all shocked and in disbelief of who would do something to such a sweet person," said Garnier.
Zoom out:
According to the Emmet County Sheriff's Office, police are actively investigating the case and have collected several items to the Michigan State Crime Lab for processing and forensic examination.
A dedicated tip line has also been set up for anyone interested in passing along information.
"We also want the public to know that throughout this investigation, our investigators have maintained regular communication with the family of Lonn Hartman," reads the latest news release from police. "We have been in contact with Mr. Hartman's mother, father, and partner and have worked to keep them informed of investigative developments to the fullest extent possible while preserving the integrity of the investigation."
While police have not released any motive, friends of Hartman say it was a targeted attack.
"He did not deserve this and from all the evidence we gathered it looks like it could’ve been a hate crime at this point," said Garnier.
What they're saying:
Another friend of Hartman's worried that whoever attacked him remains a threat to the public.
"No one deserves this and if this was anyone else’s family member everyone would want justice and I feel that a person out there is a threat to everyone. Everyone's freedom and everyone’s health and stability in this area," said Alicia Cohen.
What you can do:
Anyone with information can pass details along anonymously to police either through email or phone number.
The email address is blissfestinvestigation@emmetcounty.org and the phone number is 231-348-0605.
A gofundme has also been set up by Hartman's family. It can be found at this link here.
What is Blissfest?
Dig deeper:
Blissfest is an annual music festival that takes place in Harbor Springs in mid-July.
Hosted in the forest, the festival provides more than a hundred different acts across several different venues. According to its website, the festival is held on a 200-acre farm outside Cross Village.
Approximately 5,000 people attend every year and are treated to food, crafts, and other vendors.
The Source: Friends of the victim, a Gofundme, the Emmet County Sheriff's Office, and Blissfest were cited for this story.