Posted on May 19, 2012.
Police have yet to confirm that a body found last month is Mike Clark, but Clark's family is almost certain it is him.
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The body was found in a wooded area in the 8600 block of Sheridan Road on Aug. 19. Clark’s knapsack, articles of clothing and personal items were also discovered near the site. But because the body was so badly decomposed, Clark's family must now wait for DNA evidence to confirm his identity.
Sgt. Hugh Rafferty of the Kenosha Police Department said the case remains open as a death investigation. No foul play has been detected, but the department isn’t ruling anything out at this point. Police are still waiting for the medical examiner to determine the cause and manner of death.
"They aren't treating this as a crime," said Clark’s daughter Michelle Mason, who lives in Arkansas. “But the medical examiner's office refers to him as my father."
While the medical examiner's office has tentatively identified the body as Michael Clark, the remains have been sent to a lab to make a positive identification through DNA testing. A tentative identification is based on circumstantial evidence; a positive identification is based on medical evidence, such as dental records or DNA.
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"They think it was dad because of an article of clothing he was wearing. and they found an ID card in his pocket, but because of the level of decomposition, there is no way to be sure it was him, and police aren't going to release his body until they know his identity," Mason said.
Homeless by choice
If the person is her father, Mason wants to know how her father died, especially since she hadn't spoken to him for five years. However, Mason did find comfort in reconnecting with her father’s family, and she’s learned more about her father since the body was discovered.
"I didn't even know my father was homeless, but my Aunt Pat (Allen) told me he always had a place to stay, but he chose not to stay with her," Mason said.
Sometimes Clark would stay with Allen for months in Milwaukee. He suffered from diabetes and cirrhosis of the liver from years of drinking alcohol. He often read books at the library and enjoyed nature. However, he often refused to stay with family members, even though they begged him to stay and asked him repeatedly to stop drinking.
“He and I were close,” Allen said. “He knew he could always come to me. Last year he spent four months with me in the winter, but it was his choice to leave.”
Reported missing
But after Clark didn’t come to a family party over Memorial Day, Allen grew suspicious. In June, a missing person’s complaint was filed.
“I knew something was wrong. Was he waiting for help? How long was he out there?” Allen said. “I was appalled by it. ... I didn’t know if he was in a diabetic coma or what. A person shouldn’t have to decay to that extent. ... He was important to me.”
For Mason, the unanswered questions underscore the rift in her relationship with Clark, which she now wants to make right by getting some closure. Coincidentally, Mason volunteers at a homeless shelter every Saturday in Arkansas.
“After you get to know people, you realize ... that’s someone’s mother, father, sister, brother,” Mason said. “Some people choose to live on the streets, others don’t. But no matter how hard it is for someone, you realize that life is too short to hold grudges. After this experience, I’ve learned that I have to let the people I care about know that I love them.
“My dad was a good man, but he was sick," Mason said. "But I truly believed dad was where he wanted to be."
Now Clark’s family must wait for science to confirm what they believe to be true.