A three-year-old murder mystery out of the west side of the state has investigators looking for clues right here in Metro Detroit.
Police say Harold Knight, known as Butch strangled his wife, then called them from Ann Arbor to say where they could find the body.
Investigators say all leads on Knight have grown cold and that’s why they need your help to bring this case back to light.
“This case has put everybody in shock and awe like why did he do this what happened,” Deputy U.S. Marshal Aaron Garcia said.
The brutal murder happened in the quiet Ganges Township.
“Then the suspect decides to make a call to the police authorities 911 call which was completely strange and out of the ordinary in fact the sheriff’s department at the time thought this may have been a prank,” Garcia said.
The voice? Identified as 69-year-old Knight. Police say he confessed to killing his wife Sara and said they could find her body in their home. That 911 call was traced back to Ann Arbor but police say he didn’t stay there for long.
“He ends up finding a spot in Maine, he was in a hotel for four days in Maine, his vehicle was found covered up under piles of snow- he’s caught on video up there, he dyes his hair black, dyes his mustache black,” Garcia said.
Surveillance photos were snapped of Knight during his days living as a fugitive on the east coast, that’s when he tipped off investigators with a letter.
“While he was in Maine, a letter was sent to his mother-in-law and actually he provided $2,000 for his wife’s cremation services,” Garcia said.
Knight sent money to pay for his wife’s funeral along with what police call a bogus explanation for the crime, saying her death was over drugs, something investigators say they’ve found no evidence of.
“People just don’t fall off the grid, in his physical condition without having a plan or having anything to fall back on this guy knew what he was doing,” Garcia said.
All 94 U.S. Marshals Task Forces across the country are on the case while deputies say their strongest leads are here in Michigan.
“We believe somebody in this area, a family member, a friend, a connection would be able to identify or have some information,” Garcia said.
Harold Butch Knight is 6’4” and 270 pounds.
“The worry is he’s trying to make his way to Canada, he’s getting to Canada – he’s already in Maine trying to cross over to Canada,” Garcia said. “We don’t know if that has ever happened as a matter of fact we have no proof that has happened.
Three years on the run, three years too long and the U.S. Marshals say, it’s time to close this case.
“We don’t want to go away without this victim’s voice being heard we want to keep this at the top of our priority list,” Garcia said.
As always there’s a cash reward for Butch Knight, you can call the U.S. Marshals anytime at (313) 234-5656 and remain anonymous.
