In the summer of 2025, William Ardith Jackson, a 42-year-old male, was reported missing from his life in Tawas City, Michigan. His disappearance on July 11th set in motion a grim investigation that would uncover a story of conflict and violence. The first clue to his fate surfaced two days later when a Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer stumbled upon an abandoned pickup truck in the vast expanse of the Huron National Forest in Oscoda County.
The scene was ominous; a significant amount of blood was found in the truck's bed, along with a blood-soaked, rolled-up carpet, prompting an immediate response from the Michigan State Police.
Investigators quickly identified the truck's owner as Doreen Kay Schunk of Tawas Township, who was William Jackson's girlfriend. The discovery of her truck, coupled with the fact that Jackson had been missing since the morning of July 11th, deepened the mystery. The focus of the investigation turned to a pole barn owned by Schunk, as authorities determined the bloodied carpet had been removed from that structure. A search of the pole barn by troopers and technicians revealed droplets of human blood, confirming their suspicions that the location was tied to Jackson's disappearance.
The investigation led detectives to Clifford Marion Farthing, also of Tawas Township. During questioning, Farthing allegedly recounted a heated argument between Schunk and Jackson over money that took place inside the pole barn. According to his statement, he left for a walk as the dispute escalated. Upon his return, he claimed Schunk handed him a. 38 caliber revolver, which he then used to shoot Jackson three times. Farthing detailed how he rolled the victim's body in the carpet, placed him in his own truck, and drove to the forest. Schunk allegedly followed in another vehicle to the spot where the truck was abandoned and where Jackson's hidden body was later discovered. Prosecutors state that Schunk then drove Farthing from the scene, stopping at her home in Sand Lake to dispose of the firearm.
Following the investigation, both Clifford Marion Farthing and Doreen Kay Schunk were taken into custody and were arraigned on July 18th. Farthing faces charges of open murder as a habitual third offender and a second offense of felony firearms. He is being held without bond. Schunk has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and felony firearm. The case brought to light concerns from the Iosco County Prosecuting Attorney, who noted that Farthing was a parolee placed in the county in violation of the Michigan Department of Corrections' own policies, suggesting that the tragedy might have been prevented.
