Murder and abduction from foster home • Dog mauling sentencing • West Michigan human remains ID'd

FRIDAY NEWS HIT - It's a case of unbelievable violence where two adults were killed and two children kidnapped.

The children were being fostered inside a Washtenaw County home when all hell broke loose.  On New Year's, police said they rescued one of two abducted young children on Rowley Court.

"I looked out, and they were like three or four police cars, and I saw somebody like, being taken away in handcuffs," said a neighbor who saw the rescue. 

Sources say the other child was rescued about two minutes away on Lexington Parkway near Rambling Road.

Their ages are 7 and 4 and were not related. 

Cops say both of them were taken from a home on Nollar Bend Drive in Northfield Township, which served as a foster home for one of the children. 

Police called it a violent confrontation that led to the abductors allegedly shooting and killing two adults in the home and critically wounding a third all around 8:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day.

"Just strange. You know, we don’t have those kinds of things happen here," said neighbor Lee Maulbetsch.

When they got to the home, police say they found 74-year-old Stevie Ray Smith and 48-year-old Jennifer Lyn Bernhard, both of Northfield Township, dead.  

Investigators say her husband, 52-year-old Jeffrey Bernhard, was badly hurt and hospitalized in stable condition. 

FOX 2 has learned he’s an assistant director for the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

Investigative sources say the shooting is related to a child custody dispute, but FOX 2 is working to confirm the specifics. 

Police say the children are healthy and safe. 

Sentencing in fatal dog mauling case

The couple charged in the fatal dog mauling of a Detroit father of six are expected to be sentenced on Friday morning.

Both Roy Goodman and Trevina Goodman pleaded guilty to a single count of dangerous animal causing death after Harold Phillips was attacked by three dogs owned by the couple.

The assault took place in January of last year in the area of West Chicago and Longacre after the dogs escaped through an unsecured gate. Phillips was placed on life support after the mauling. He was returning from a visit to the mall where he was buying clothes for an upcoming job interview on Jan. 29.

He died on Feb. 2. He left behind children ranging in age from 9 to 18 years old. Both Roy and Trevina are expected in court around 9:30 a.m. before Judge Donald Knapp.

Missing Kevin Graves found outside festival site

State police have identified the remains found near a music festival site in west Michigan as the male that went missing from Electric Forest in 2018. Kevin Graves was reported missing to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office six years ago after he disappeared from the festival.

According to Michigan State Police, forensic anthropologists from Western Michigan University confirmed Graves' identity with the help of dental records. While it could take months to determine the cause of death, police don't believe foul play is a factor.

Graves, of Highland Township, reportedly went missing after a fight with his girlfriend. He said he had planned to return to his tent, investigators said. Instead, he went missing - leading to a police search using dogs and dozens of volunteers.

"Please keep the family and friends of Kevin Graves in your thoughts during this difficult time," police from the sixth district added. 

Jonatan Berggren scores with 36 seconds remaining, Red Wings top Blue Jackets 5-4

Jonatan Berggren scored with 36 seconds left in the third period and the Detroit Red Wings extended their winning streak to three games with a 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

Alex DeBrincat scored and had two assists, Dylan Larkin and Patrick Kane each had a goal and an assist, and Erik Gustafsson added a goal for Detroit. Cam Talbot made 21 saves.

James van Riemsdyk had two goals and an assist, Zach Werenski added a goal and two assists, and Sean Monahan also scored for Columbus, which was 4-1-1 in its previous six games. Elvis Merzlikins made 21 saves.

Van Riemsdyk scored his second of the game at 17:19 of third, pulling Columbus into a 4-all tie after Larkin scored on the power play at 4:54 of the period to give Detroit a 4-3 lead.

Lions tailgate security top of mind after New Orleans attack

Security is top of mind for many in the wake of the New Orleans tragedy - but what does this mean for Sunday night's Lions game against the Vikings?

Eastern Market is home to Lions tailgaters, and one business owner tell us as sad as the tragedy was, he expects people will still be out there enjoying themselves.

Bert Dearing is owner of Bert’s Marketplace and is still in shock over the tragedy that struck New Orleans on New Year's Day. "Whew, it’s hard to explain," he said. "I know we've got fanatics all over the world or whatever, but why take other folks' family."

Fifteen people died after a truck plowed into the crowds on Bourbon Street, leaving many others injured.

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

Arctic temperatures could make for a frigid weekend as the wind chill sends conditions into the single digits. 

What else we're watching

1. A dispatcher who works in Macomb County is credited with helping a man deliver his wife's baby from over the phone. Both mom and the child are doing great, the sheriff's office said. 
2. If the Detroit Lions don't win on Sunday, it could mean no home field advantage for the entire playoffs. It represents the stakes at play for a team that did almost everything right this season, and yet competition from their NFC North rival means nothing is guaranteed.
3. The Detroit mayor and interim police chief will discuss DPD's 2024 crime stats at noon on Friday. 
4. Today is also a preliminary hearing for the election fraud case brought by the Michigan attorney general, who accused the St. Clair Shores employees of allowing double voting to take place.
5. Video at El Charro caught the moment a man stole a tip jar from the business. Police are searching for the individual

Wayne Osmond, founding member of The Osmonds, dies at 73

Wayne Osmond, a singer, guitarist and founding member of the famous family act The Osmonds, has died at 73.

Wayne died this week at a Salt Lake City hospital after suffering a "massive stroke," sibling Merrill Osmond posted on his Facebook page.

"I've never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolutely no guile," Merrill wrote. "An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met."

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