Jersey Arnett Missing Person Case

Mar 20, 2011

Dec 03, 2019

Jersey

Arnett

22

24 inches

20 lbs

White / Caucasian

Female

In the late hours of a summer evening in 2002, a chapter of a deeply troubling story began to unfold, culminating in the disappearance of seven-month-old Jersey Arnett from St. Ignace, Michigan. On August 14, Jersey was in the care of her mother, Mindy Arnett, at the Flint, Michigan, home of Mindy's sister, who had temporary custody of the infant. Concerns for Jersey's welfare had been raised previously due to her mother's mental health struggles and substance abuse issues, which led to the state intervening and placing Jersey in the care of her aunt. Despite these challenges, Mindy was reportedly making progress, attending parenting classes and receiving psychiatric care, with the goal of regaining custody of her daughter. She had frequent visits with Jersey, and on that particular evening, her sister and brother-in-law left Mindy alone with the baby while they went out to dinner. When they returned, both Mindy and Jersey were gone. The initial hope that Mindy had simply taken Jersey for a short time quickly faded as the hours turned into a new day. In the early morning of August 15, Mindy's 1992 Honda Civic Del Sol was discovered abandoned mid-span on the Mackinac Bridge, a structure that towers nearly 200 feet above the Straits of Mackinac. A motorist had reported seeing a similar vehicle parked in the northbound passing lane with a woman reaching into the back door. An hour later, law enforcement found the car. Inside the vehicle were several of Mindy and Jersey's belongings, including Mindy's purse and keys, a diaper bag, a half-empty baby bottle, and Jersey's car seat. There was no sign of the mother and her infant daughter. The discovery of the abandoned car and the personal items left behind painted a grim picture for investigators. Given Mindy's history of mental health issues, which included a previous suicide attempt and threats to harm both herself and her daughter, authorities came to the heartbreaking conclusion that Mindy had likely jumped from the bridge with Jersey. An extensive and large-scale search of the Straits of Mackinac was launched, involving the Michigan State Police Dive Team, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other local agencies. Despite using advanced sonar technology and receiving assistance from the University of Michigan to model the potential drift of the bodies, the search was ultimately unsuccessful. After a week of exhaustive efforts, the official search was suspended. The bodies of Mindy and Jersey Arnett have never been recovered, leaving their family with unanswered questions and the enduring pain of their loss. The case remains a tragic and unsolved mystery, a story of a young mother's struggles and the devastating loss of a child.

Aug 14, 2002

St. Ignace

Michigan

Mackinac County

49781

27411

Michigan State Police

St. Ignace

Michigan

Mackinac County

49781

Frank Demers

D/Sgt.

St. Ignace Post, Michigan

9066437582

State

Law Enforcement

www.michigan.gov/msp

83-1131-02

Michigan State Police

Brown

Unknown

Unknown

07/11/2026