Thomas Olson, 34 of Grand Blanc Twp, MI and Robert Rodway, 34 of Saint Johns, MI, were arrested late Wednesday night by the Michigan State Police Fugitive Team for the 2018 cold case homicide of Chong Yang, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced.
Olson and Rodway were arraigned Thursday morning in the 64-A District Court in Ionia with the following:
• One count of Felony Murder, a felony that carries a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
• One count of Felony Firearm, a two-year felony.
On November 16th, 2018, Chong Yang was hunting in the Rose Lake State Park in Bath Township, Michigan. Yang frequently hunted in this area, and his wife was alarmed when he hadn’t returned home. His family volunteered to look for him and when they arrived, they found the victim’s car in the parking lot and followed two sets of footprints which led them to the victim’s body.
When police arrived, they found the victim lying face down with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head. Witness testimony and a plastic bag with hunting spray that was recovered near the scene led police to Olson and Rodway. Nessel alleges that the defendants killed Yang while hunting, and stole the victim’s headlamp, knife, backpack, and shotgun.
“The Bath Township Police Department worked closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other local agencies and prosecutors to gather evidence, establish a timeline of events, and locate the defendants,” said Nessel. “I am grateful for their persistence and hard work in pursuing this case. Chong Yang’s family deserves justice, and we are working hard to make sure they receive it.”
Both defendants are being held without bond.
Olson and Rodway are scheduled for a probable cause conference at 1:00pm on January 5th, 2023, and a preliminary hearing on January 12, 2023, at 2:00 pm.
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