Human Remains Found Near Site of Michigan’s Electric Forest Music Festival

Authorities are working to identify human remains found near the site of the northern Michigan Electric Forest music festival. Why It Matters The site where the remains were found is the same location where a Detroit-area man vanished while attending the event in 2018. What To Know In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Michigan State Police Sixth District said: “On Monday, December 30, 2024, Troopers and Detectives from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Hart Post were dispatched to a wooded area near Rothbury, Oceana County, regarding the discovery of human remains.” “The investigation continued today with additional evidence being recovered. Forensic Anthropologists from The Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine responded to the scene to assist with the recovery,” the Michigan State Police said. In the post, the Michigan State Police noted that they are currently unable to make a “positive identification of the remains” and will need to wait for “autopsy results and further investigation.” Police tape pictured in Monterey Park, California, on January 22, 2023. On Tuesday, police in Michigan said they had recently discovered human remains at the site of a Michigan Electric Forest music festival. Police tape pictured in Monterey Park, California, on January 22, 2023. On Tuesday, police in Michigan said they had recently discovered human remains at the site of a Michigan Electric Forest music festival. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images Investigators on Monday searched a wooded area near Rothbury in Oceana County, the location of the Electric Forest music festival. The effort was bolstered by forensic anthropologists from Western Michigan University. As of Tuesday, state police have not provided any new updates on the investigation. Man Who Went Missing At Festival Kevin Graves, 28, was last seen at the Electric Forest music festival in 2018. According to investigators, he told his girlfriend he was heading back to his tent following a disagreement. At the time of Graves’ disappearance, police conducted extensive searches with canine units and dozens of volunteers, while divers scoured nearby lakes. In 2023, a billboard displaying Graves’ photo was placed near the festival site, urging attendees to provide any information to authorities. What People Are Saying In 2023, Kevin’s father, Gary Graves, spoke to WOOD-TV news in Michigan about his son’s disappearance and said: “Sometimes I’ll be sitting there in the living room watching TV, and I’ll just start crying.” “I’m not ashamed to admit it because I’m thinking about him, looking at his picture there by the TV, and I just say, ‘Where the hell could you be?'” Gary Graves told the local outlet. “Whatever it takes…I don’t care if I go broke; I’m gonna keep trying my best,” the father added, according to WOOD-TV. Kevin’s mother, Kathy Graves, also spoke to WOOD-TV in 2023 and said: “We hope they see it and understand that we haven’t given up looking for him…As long as we can go, we’re not gonna give up and we’re not going away.” What’s Next The Michigan State Police are continuing their investigation of the remains and could release further details in the coming days. This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.