Flint man charged for Beaverton murder, home invasion
GLADWIN CO., Mich. (WNEM) – A Flint man has been arrested and charged for his involvement in a home invasion and murder in Beaverton in early June.
On June 6 about 4:32 a.m., Gladwin Co. dispatchers received a 911 call that someone had been shot at Lakefront Estates in Beaverton.
Related: Police: Man dead following Beaverton home invasion
Chief Brad Davis with Beaverton Police Department gave an update on the murder in a press conference on Monday, Aug. 14.
Davis said the Gladwin County Sheriff’s office showed up at the scene first, followed by Beaverton police, MSP, and Arenac County deputies.
After searching and securing the area, investigators determined that the victim, 56-year-old Scott Eckert, had not been killed accidentally nor was his death self-inflicted, Davis said, adding the incident was determined to be isolated and the suspect had left the area.
Michael Durbin II, from Flint, developed to be a person of interest very early in the investigation, Davis said.
“But out of the abundance of caution, we followed every lead, evaluated every piece of potential evidence, and exhausted every alternative explanation before turning the report over to the Gladwin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office,” Davis said.
Davis said the case has been worked on every day since June 6, adding it is the most time-consuming in over 30 years, and there is more work to be done.
Davis said it is believed the incident was a random act of violence, which he said is hardest to investigate.
“There was no connections. That’s the hardest thing. There’s no connections. It just seems this is a total random act of violence,” Davis said.
He said he understood that some of the community was frustrated with himself and the police department for not releasing information about the incident.
Related: Beaverton residents concerned following home invasion, murder
However, Davis said there were so many small details involved in the case that he couldn’t release information as it would jeopardize the investigation.
Davis said Durbin has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies:
- Felony murder
- Open murder
- First-degree home invasion
- Armed robbery
- Unlawful imprisonment
- Felonious assault
- Felony firearm
Durbin has been lodged in the Isabella Co. Jail on other charges since June 6, Davis said, adding he is “very happy” Durbin was arrested the same day the incident took place.
He added that he will not be releasing any more details until the case makes it through the judicial system.
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