In the summer of 2025, the life of 29-year-old Courtney Hershberger was tragically cut short. On the afternoon of Monday, July 21st, deputies from the Berrien County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the Franklin Woods mobile home park in Niles Township for a death investigation. Upon their arrival at the residence on South 13th Street, they discovered Courtney deceased inside.
The circumstances surrounding her death were immediately deemed suspicious by the authorities. An autopsy later confirmed that Hershberger, a female, had died from a gunshot wound. The investigation quickly led to the arrest of a 33-year-old Indiana man, Rene Lopez Alvarado, from South Bend. Investigators determined that Alvarado and Hershberger had been in a relationship.
Alvarado was taken into custody and is being held at the Berrien County Jail. He has been charged with open murder and felony firearms. A judge set his bond at $2 million, with the condition of a GPS tether. The case remains under active investigation by the Berrien County Sheriff's Office.
