After 6 months, no charges in Bills, Hill deaths
ALPENA – Six months after police found the body of Alpena teen Brynn Bills buried in Joshua Wirgau’s back yard, police have yet to arrest anyone related to the girl’s death.
Nor have police arrested anyone in the death of Abby Hill, an Alpena woman linked to Bills whose body police found in Alpena Township less than three weeks after finding Bills’ body.
Law enforcement officials say they continue to investigate both deaths.
Alpena County Prosecutor Cynthia Muszynski continues to work through several hundred pages of police reports submitted in December.
“We … have the duty and responsibility to ensure, to the best of the ability of law enforcement, that we do not make swift decisions but decisions based on the evidence and the laws of the State of Michigan,” Muszynski said in an email to The News.
Check out this interactive timeline of police’s investigation into the deaths of Brynn Bills and Abby Hill. Story continues below timeline.
The prosecutor meets regularly with police heads to discuss progress on investigation “as well as any additional avenues of evidence that open up as we continue to work the case,” she said.
Police will not yet release the cause of death for either Bills or Hill, but 1st Lt. John Grimshaw, commander of the Michigan State Police-Alpena Post, said in an email to The News he anticipates releasing information “about the entirety of the case” sometime in the future.
Police want justice served for the families of victims but can’t jeopardize the investigation by rushing it. Officers need time to complete all interviews and receive all laboratory results, Grimshaw said.
“All I can say is, they are building the best case they can, and that doesn’t come overnight,” Jessica Eaves, a friend and former roommate of Bills, said in a Facebook message to The News. “The important thing is she gets her justice and we found her to be able to bring her home.”
The News could not reach family members of Bills or Hill for comment.
Muszynski would not say when she anticipates filing charges related to the deaths or against whom she might file charges, saying sharing such information could harm the investigation.
Police in September named Wirgau as a person of interest in Bills’ death.
Muszynski in a court document called Brad Srebnik, a friend of both Wirgau and Hill, a suspect in both deaths.
Separate from the death investigations, Wirgau and Srebnik pleaded guilty to weapons charges related to the alleged hijacking of a tow truck at Wirgau’s home one week before police found Bills’ body.
Judge Ed Black will sentence them on April 18. They face two years in prison on the weapons charges.
Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or jriddle@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jriddleX.