Monroe: After 19 years, man finds his missing twin brother

By Ray Kisonas The Monroe Evening News MONROE, Mich. (AP) -- A 19-year search for a lost brother came to an end recently in a quiet Monroe cemetery. Donald Norman, who grew up in Detroit and now lives near Dayton, Ohio, has been searching for his twin brother, Ronald, ever since he disappeared in December, 1991. Recently, under a clear afternoon sky, Mr. Norman, now 61, came to Monroe to visit his brother's grave for the first time. "I finally found him, thank God, thank God," Mr. Norman said. "The journey ends here. Now I know where he is." The victim, who was living in a foster care home on W. Grand Blvd. in Detroit at the time, was 42 when he somehow ended up in the frigid Detroit River and drowned. Currents took his body into Lake Erie and eventually to Monroe County. Four months later, in late April, fishermen discovered Mr. Norman's body but officials could not identify him. His body was buried in St. Joseph Cemetery on N. Monroe St. in an unmarked grave. His surviving brother continued to search. He filed a missing person's report, but the connection was never made until this past February. "I didn't give up," Mr. Norman said. "He's my twin brother. You see him, you see me. I miss him dearly." With the help of a new website, Michigan State Police Trooper Sarah Krebs, a forensic artist based in Detroit who has worked on several Monroe County unsolved cases, helped solve the mystery. Trooper Krebs and Heather Holland, a missing person's advocate, were using a lost persons website called NamUs, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Each noticed specific details about Mr. Norman, such as his missing upper teeth and a skull injury he suffered in a 1977 accident. The information helped them determine that the remains of the drowning victim buried in an unmarked grave in Monroe were Mr. Norman's. The brother, a retired autoworker, was notified. Recently, Mr. Norman attended a Missing Persons Day event at Ford Field in Detroit. Intended to raise awareness of the many missing persons in Michigan, including several from Monroe County, the event attracted hundreds of people who helped law enforcement officials update records. For Mr. Norman, his long search ended in Monroe. Before the event in Detroit, he came to visit his brother's resting place for the first time. On a crisp spring day he stood at his brother's grave and concluded an odyssey that began 19 years ago. "It's sad," Mr. Norman said as he gazed on the grassy surface marked with a small sign that identified the grave as "Ronald Norman" and "Found 4/24/1992." "But I'm glad to have some closure." Mr. Norman said although he hoped to find his brother alive, he felt relief to at least know where his brother is. He appreciated St. Joseph Cemetery for taking care of his brother's grave and was grateful to Monroe for allowing his brother to have his own site. He said other cities have common graves for unknown victims. "I like it here; it's beautiful," Mr. Norman said while looking around. "I'll be coming back." His goal now is to try to raise money for a headstone. He said he is not a rich man but he is determined to have a proper final resting spot for his identical twin. "This trip was so important to me," he said. "It was on my mind a long time. It's a relief to see his final resting place. Now I can rest." Published: Thu, Jun 2, 2011