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Ohio man sentenced in Lenawee County 1997 cold case of headless remains found in field

By David Komer
Published  May 22, 2025 1:04pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit

The Brief

    • In 1997 a headless naked corpse without hands and saw marks was found in a Lenawee County field.
    • The case had gone cold before a pair of brothers were charged in connection to the crime.
    • Michael Sepulveda of Toledo pleaded guilty to second degree murder after his brother Richardo was found guilty.

FOX 2 - A 51-year-old Toledo man was sentenced for a 1997 Lenawee County cold case homicide, the Michigan Attorney General Office announced Thursday.

The backstory:

Michael Sepulveda, 51, was sentenced to 10 to 30 years after pleading guilty to second degree murder in August of 2024 in connection with the homicide of "John Doe."

On Nov. 19, 1997, the man's body was found without a head and missing hands with saw marks evident on the naked remains in a Blissfield Township cornfield by the landowner.

Investigators say the homicide is believed to be connected to international drug trafficking activities.

John Doe’s identity is still unknown, but he is believed to be a 32-year-old Hispanic man from the Corpus Christie/McAllen, Texas area.

In January of 2023, Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Michael Sepulveda and co-defendant Richardo Sepulveda, 53, of Cincinnati, Ohio, in connection with the homicide.

Richardo Sepulveda was found guilty by a Lenawee County jury of multiple felonies in April.

Sentencing for Michael Sepulveda is scheduled for May 15, 2025. Richardo Sepulveda is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13, 2025.

"I am grateful for the tireless efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in my office for securing this sentence," Nessel said. "My Department remains committed to delivering justice for crime victims and holding violent offenders accountable, no matter how long it takes."

If anyone has information regarding the victim or case, please contact Michigan State Police Det. Sgt. Larry Rothman at 313-407-9379.

The Source: Information for this report is from the Michigan Attorney General's Office. 

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