A truck driver was found shot and burned to death early Thursday in the cab of his truck, which had been set on fire, said Detroit Police Public Information Officer Sandra Whitfield. Today, police are looking for killer.
Around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, fire department officials responded to Junction and McGraw Streets in Detroit, where the 18-wheeler was found already in flames.
The truck driver was eventually identified as Michael Boeglin, 30, of Ferdinand, Indiana, according to Wayne County Medical Examiner Spokesperson Mary Mazur. The cause of death was due to multiple gunshot wounds, not the fire, which appeared as “an effort to cover up the crime,” Mazur said.
This was a violent crime. Whitfield said Boeglin was shot twice. He had “apparent head trauma,” Muzur didn’t go into detail about the shots nor she specify where he sustained the gunshot wounds. Police did not reveal if the driver’s death was the result of a robbery or any type of other attempt.
Boeglin’s body was found inside the truck cab, but the fire burnt his body beyond recognition. He was pronounced dead at the scene and was identified through dental records later that day. Now, police are on the hunt for the killer. Shell casings were found at the scene and police are investigating the case as a homicide.
Boeglin worked for Mawson & Mawson Incorporated out of Langhorne, Pennsylvania. A Mawson & Mawson official designated to speak about Boeglin was out of the office on Friday, a company employee told The Trucker.
ThyssenKrupp Steel North America Inc. did release a statement:
“We are aware that a semi-truck on its way to our facility was attacked outside of the plant premises in Detroit on Thursday, June 26. Our deepest sympathies go out to the victim’s family, friends and colleagues. Although this incident did not occur on ThyssenKrupp’s property, we are cooperating with city officials and law enforcement investigation teams. The safety of our employees, suppliers and customers is of the highest importance to ThyssenKrupp Materials NA Inc. Following this shocking and tragic incident, we are proactively reaching out to our suppliers and employees to heighten their awareness of their personal safety and security at all times, specifically in the area surrounding our Detroit facility.”
Boeglin’s wife Ashley says she last spoke with him around midnight just as he was driving across the Michigan border. She told the station that they were talking about remodeling their home and getting the nursery ready for the birth of their child. Ashley says Mike has been a truck driver for several years and was always careful where he parked. She says he was driving a regular route and had places where he thought it was safe to pull over and get some sleep.
Ashley left this message on Facebook:
“I would like to say thank you to everyone for your prayers. Please continue with them but please be sure to pray for Mike. I know that nothing in life can ever prepare a person for anything like this to happen. I am very appreciative to have such a loving and supportive family and friends and I know Mike would feel the same way. I don’t know what God has planned for me and the baby but I do know that Mike said he would never ask anything of me that he wasn’t sure that I could handle, even if I didn’t have the faith in myself. And I know that he will continue to look down and provide guidance and protection for the baby and I because to Mike, family was the most important thing. This world has been unjustly and untimely robbed of a superior individual. My time with my husband on this Earth may have been cut short but I know we will be again together one day. Again a huge thankyou to everyone and please continue to send prayers to Mike; his journey home is not yet done even though he is with God tonight.”
