APRIL MILLSAP, 14 -- MURDERED, MICHIGAN

[HairOfTheDog]

RIP April Millsap

Police said April was walking her dog around the time of her death. When she did not return home from the walk, her mother called police.

Police said in a news release Sunday that “it’s possible someone may remember seeing April with Penny, or Penny unattended, around the critical timeframe of 6:20 p.m.- 8:20 p.m., July 24^th.”

The teen’s death was ruled a homicide by the Macomb County Medical Examiner’s Office. The cause of her death has not been released. Police have said there were no gunshot or stab wounds.


Police released the above sketch of one possible suspect and have said said they are searching for a gray box van, occupied by two men, and are trying to get information on a small blue and white motorcycle, driven by a younger man.

Millsap, 14, sent a text message to her boyfriend the night of her murder that read, "Omg. Wtf. I think I'm being kidnapped," Armada Police Chief Howard Smith told The Macomb Daily. However, CBS Detroit said police wouldn't confirm the contents of the text message.

Today, Michigan State Police and an FBI task force members working on the Milsap case were executing search warrants at a home in Wales Township, about 20 miles northeast of Armada, reports MLive.com. The Detroit Free Press reports that the home is registered to a 66-year-old registered sex offender who was convicted in 1995 of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13, and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person between 13 and 16, citing records.

Refs: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/search-warra...mich-teen/
http://www.freep.com/article/20140727/NE...il-Millsap
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Sounds like police suspect several men working as a team. Scary shit -- April was walking her dog and it was still pretty early in the evening when she was taken.

Hoping the killer(s) are identified and off the streets quickly.

(HOTD edit: corrected spelling -- victim's name)

[HairOfTheDog]

Millsap's dog reportedly led a pair of joggers to her body around 8:30 p.m. that Thursday, 15 to 20 feet off the wooded nature trail where she had been walking in Armada, Mich., about 45 miles north of Detroit.

"We are pretty confident that we are zeroing in on the person who did this and the person knows that as well," Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw told the Macomb Daily paper (yesterday).

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/search-warra...mich-teen/

[ramseycat]

God that's awful. I don't think k I could take it if one of my children was murdered. This world is fucked up. A girl can't even walk her dog without something happening.

[Cheyne]

Perhaps a break in the case?

FBI agents and state police troopers served a search warrant at a home in Goodells, located about 15 miles west of Port Huron in Wales Township, on Wednesday.

The connection between the search location and the Millsap case has not been revealed, but neighbors told WJBK, Fox 2 News a resident of a nearby home has a blue and white motorcycle, which matches the description of a vehicle police were interested in speaking to the owner of.

Police haven't announced any arrests related to the death of April Millsap, but have arrested two residents of the searched home, where a 66-year-old registered sex offender lives, connected to a marijuana grow operation, Fox 2 reports.

Read more

This case is breaking my heart. Girl goes out to walk her dog and is murdered? What the hell is happening here?

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks, Cheyne, for the update and the link. Though the two arrests don't appear related directly to Apri's death at this time, I hope they signal a big break in the case.

Police are holding back details -- I understand that, especially if they have already developed suspects and they're looking for confessions that stick.

It doesn't appear that April was taken anywhere given that her dog, Penny, reportedly never left her side and (thankfully) led the joggers to discover April's body quickly.

Just based on what little has been released, it sounds like April was beaten to death on the hiking trail (or maybe in the van near the trail) and left there, and police have eyewitnesses or surveillance of vehicles that have pointed them towards an elderly sex offender and his friend(s). If that's what happened, it's yet another case with very odd circumstances.

[HairOfTheDog]

SUSPECTS?

The media has now released the name of the elder man arrested today. It appears the search warrant was in relation to April's murder, but the arrest is a marijuana-related charge (for now). Source: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/261550...ens-murder


James Bernard Vancallis, 66
Ref: http://www.sexoffenderrecord.com/offender/view/807851

This is his son, who also has a criminal history (charged with disorderly, prob violation, larceny, b&e, counterfeit...).

James Donald Vancallis, 32
I think the son is the second man arrested, but I'm not certain about that. He goes by Donald. One of his cities of residences is/was Armada, the same city in which April was killed.
Ref: http://mugshots.com/US-Counties/Michigan...49247.html

[HairOfTheDog]

Recent pic of April Millsap. RIP.

[Carsman]

What a shame, such a pretty girl, those two guys look like sicko's and should be to be punished to the max! (If evidence finds them guilty)

[HairOfTheDog]

There are several agencies working on this case, including the Macomb County PD, Michigan State PD, FBI...

Some LE update:
TEXT MESSAGES -- FROM APRIL?:
Early reports about Millsap's murder included claims from a relative that she had texted her boyfriend on July 24 saying "OMG. ... I think I'm being kidnapped." But Michigan State Police spokesman Lt. Michael Shaw told ABC News that the message was phrased differently and may not have come from April herself.

"We don't know who sent it," Shaw said, without revealing what time the text was sent.

Porter also told ABC News that the investigative team is "aware of a number of text messages that were sent from April's phone."

MANNER OF DEATH:
Investigators have not released any information about the way in which April was killed, saying that it is "a crucial part of the investigation," but have officially declared it a homicide. The 14-year-old's body was found in a ditch by joggers in the Macomb Orchard Trail on the night of July 24 with her dog Penny sitting by her body, police said.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS:
Shaw said that while no one is ever truly ruled out as a suspect, April's relatives and boyfriend "don't appear to be responsible."

Investigators have released a sketch of a suspect that they said was compiled from tips from others inside the park around the time that Millsap is believed to have been killed. They are also interested in any information pertaining to a blue-and-white motorbike that FBI Agent Porter described as looking more like a motocross bike than a Harley Davidson (HOTD: I read in another article that van is no longer a vehicle of interest).

MULTIPLE SEARCHES, INCLUDING PHONES:
Porter added that today's search outside of Armada (Vancallis residence) is not the first search to be executed in this case, and without specifying the targets, he confirmed that phone records have been part of that search.

Funeral tomorrow:
The teen’s funeral is scheduled for Friday and a GoFundMe page started by a family friend has already raised more than $11,700 -- quickly surpassing the $5,000 goal -- and is set to cover the burial expenses, according to the page.

Ref: https://gma.yahoo.com/police-search-home...ories.html

[HairOfTheDog]

Very good short video of the time line and developments in the investigation.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/timel...n/27257860

April's body showed no signs of sexual assault or trauma.

[Duchess]

She was just a little girl walking her dog. Jesus Christ.

[HairOfTheDog]

She was just a little girl walking her dog. Jesus Christ.

It's really sad.

Since she wasn't sexually assaulted, I'm starting to wonder if April was a victim of someone known to her -- if she had enemies at school or something like that. A previous report noted that walking her dog on that trail was part of her daily routine.

I'm also curious as to whether police recovered her phone with her body or if the killer(s) took it.

Could be that the registered sex offender is involved and there was a plan that went awry. But, today, at the onset of April's funeral, LE is making it clear that the two men arrested are only facing drug charges and they still need the public's help to solve this case.

TODAY'S UPDATE: http://www.macombdaily.com/general-news/...not-solved

[HairOfTheDog]

MORE DEVELOPMENTS / CONFIRMATIONS

-It's been confirmed by LE that father and son Vancallis, ^ post 6, are the two men that were arrested on Wednesday after a search warrant related to the investigation of April Millsap's murder was served on the father's home in Wales Township. They are expected to be arraigned on marijuana growing charges today. They have not been charged with anything related to April Millsap.

-April's funeral is being held this morning at Mary Mystical Rose Church in Armada.

-An LEO confirmed that April's phone was recovered with her body.

[HairOfTheDog]

UPDATE

April's funeral was attended by 300 people yesterday. It's a very small town so that's a huge turn out.

Police had undercover agents at the funeral. On Thursday night, they canvassed the town and stopped all cars looking for leads. According to reports, they got 5 or 6 helpful pieces of information. They are still reportedly looking for the blue and white motorcycle or moped.

Today police were searching the lake near the walking trail drainage ditch where April's body was found. They're hoping the killer(s) tossed some kind of evidence there.

I'm really starting to wonder if April was killed by someone she knew rather than being a victim of opportunity.

Ref:
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/261765...ns-funeral

[HairOfTheDog]

AUTOPSY RESULTS
The autopsy reveals April Millsap was killed with blunt force trauma - her neck compressed so violently it caused asphyxiation.

Millsap was beaten and choked to death. Whoever committed the crime, acted quickly.

The autopsy reveals from the time the killer started the assault - Millsap was dead just minutes later.

Source: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/262183...llsap-died


CLEARED
Police have said they’ve ruled out immediate family members and April’s boyfriend.

April's mom did an interview for the first time earlier this week. She doesn't think that April knew her killer. I think that she most likely did know her killer (only because it was so brutal, there was nothing to rob her of, there was no sexual assault -- seems like personal anger, to me). Either way, I hope an arrest is made soon.


Interview with mom (and April's boyfriend): http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/april...4/27412120

[HairOfTheDog]

UPDATE -- 2 MONTHS AFTER THE MURDER

New Evidence
April Millsap’s belongings were found last week during a search near the trail where the 14-year-old was killed.

Millsap's backpack was reportedly found. Her mother says the backpack was worn to carry their dog Penny's water and bowl. The teen was walking the dog at the time of her murder.

POI Named / Defense Attorney Statement


Defense attorney Ankouny is representing the named person of interest, James VanCallis Jr. (pictured above) and made a statement on Monday -- he is “anticipating” murder charges to come soon.

Ankouny says his client has not spoken with police since he was named a person of interest, however, he claims he was cooperative before that.

He also says VanCallis Jr. “Maintains he has nothing {to do with the murder}.” “We feel April Millsap’s killer is still out there,” says Ankouny. “Police have come down on the wrong person.”

Prosecutor Statement / No Charges Filed in Millsap Murder Yet
Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith telling Action News, no charges are imminent and he is not yet ready to move forward on the case. Testing of DNA and other evidence is still being conducted.

He also denied other media reports stating warrants had been submitted and denied by his office.

Source: http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/macomb-c...aps-murder

[HairOfTheDog]

Suspect Charged with April's Murder


Today, Malcomb County Prosecutor ^ Eric Smith announced that James Donald VanCallis, 32 (pictured in post #16) was charged with first degree premeditated murder, felony murder, and assault with intent to commit sexual penetration against 14-year-old April.

VanCallis is already in jail (along with his elderly child-molesting father) on drug charges. (See post # 6).

Smith said in today's press conference that the investigation has produced physical, electronic, and eyewitness evidence that puts VanCallis with April at the scene of the crime. He stated that while the suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty, he's confident that his office will prove beyond reasonable doubt that VanCallis murdered April as she walked her dog along the trail.

April's mom and stepdad were present when the announcement was made. I hope it gives them some comfort to know that VanCallis is behind bars and, if convicted, will be there for the rest of his life.

Ref: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/267369...sap-murder

[IroningBroad]

So he just killed her for the heck of it..? Or maybe he tried to sexually assault her and she resisted so he killed her in a fit of rage.

Well glad they caught this POS.

RIP April.

[HairOfTheDog]

He didn't rape her, but he is charged with intent to rape her.

So, the LE theory is probably that she fought back and he killed her in anger, or that he couldn't perform so he killed her in frustration. If he'd succeeded in the sexual assault, he'd have killed her anyway, IMO.

I'm interested to find out whether there was any connection between VanCallis and April Millsap. Was she targeted in advance or was she in the wrong place at the wrong time?

[Duchess]

I don't understand the charge - assault with intent to commit sexual penetration. How could they possibly know that?