BATH TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Two men have been arrested in connection with the 2018 murder of a hunter in Bath Township, Michigan.
Chong Yang was hunting in the Rose Lake State Park in Bath Township on Nov. 16, 2018, when he was shot in the head and killed.
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Yang frequently hunted in the area and his wife was worried when he didn’t return home. His family went to search for him and found his car in the parking lot. They followed two sets of footprints until they located Yang’s body.
Police said witness testimony and a plastic bag with hunting spray that was recovered near the scene led police to two men as their main suspects.
Prosecutors believe Thomas Olson, 34, of Grand Blanc Township, and Robert Rodway, 34, of Saint Johns, killed Yang while hunting and stole Yang’s headlamp, knife, backpack and shotgun.
The two men were arrested late Wednesday night by the Michigan State Police Fugitive Team. They were both arraigned Thursday morning in 65A District Court in Clinton County.
Olson and Rodway are being held without bond. They are both facing one count of felony murder and one count of felony firearm. If convicted on the felony murder charge, they will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Felony firearm is a two-year felony.
“The Bath Township Police Department worked closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other local agencies and prosecutors to gather evidence, establish a timeline of events, and locate the defendants,” said Nessel. “I am grateful for their persistence and hard work in pursuing this case. Chong Yang’s family deserves justice, and we are working hard to make sure they receive it.”
They are scheduled for a probable cause conference at 1 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2023.
They are scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2023.
Previous report: FBI, family seek new clues in 2018 murder of hunter in Bath Township