Michigan State Police investigators assigned to the Third District Cold Case Unit have resolved the 1983 kidnapping and homicide of 16-year-old Sheri Jo Elliott bringing closure to a case that had remained unsolved for more than 40 years.
Elliott was reported missing after she failed to return home from school in Flint on Nov. 16, 1983. She was last seen waiting for the bus. Community members and local authorities thoroughly searched the area for days. Her body was discovered four days later along a rural roadway in Blumfield Township, Saginaw County. She had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and investigators determined she had been sexually assaulted. Despite extensive efforts, the case went cold due to limited forensic technology available at the time.
In 2023, detectives reopened the investigation and reexamined evidence using modern forensic science. Working in partnership with the MSP Forensic Science Division and Othram, investigators utilized Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to develop a profile of an unidentified suspect. This work led detectives to focus on Roni Collins, 75 of Grand Blanc.
Before investigators could obtain a voluntary DNA sample, Collins died by suicide in January 2026. DNA collected during his autopsy was later analyzed and conclusively matched evidence recovered from Elliott in 1983, identifying him as the individual responsible for the crime.
Although Collins will not face prosecution, detectives believe the identification provides long-awaited answers to Elliott’s family and the community. Western Michigan University Cold Case Program students were integral to solving this case. The students assisted in reorganizing and digitizing decades of investigative material, providing critical support to the renewed investigation. This case underscores the significant impact of advancing forensic technologies – particularly forensic genetic genealogy – in resolving decades-old unsolved crimes.
Republished courtesy of Michigan State Police