On a tragic afternoon in late winter, the life of Dawn “Michelle” Sinkey, a 36-year-old woman from Romulus, Michigan, was abruptly ended. On February 27, 2022, police in Huron Township responded to a 911 call from a residence in the Huron Estates Mobile Home Community. Inside, they discovered Michelle with a gunshot wound to her chest. Emergency medical responders transported her to a local hospital, but she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Known to her friends and family as
Michelle, she was a loving mother, daughter, and friend. A 2004 graduate of Huron High School, she had worked as a medical assistant and office manager and was more recently employed by Amazon. She was deeply involved in her community, particularly in coaching youth sports, and was remembered for a smile and laugh that could light up a room. Her greatest joy was being a mother to her son, and she cherished spending time with him, whether it was cheering him on at his baseball, basketball, or football games, or enjoying the outdoors.
The investigation into her death revealed a story of domestic violence. Authorities alleged that Michelle was fatally shot by her 30-year-old boyfriend, Nathan Jordan-Donald Barks, during a heated argument. Following the argument's deadly escalation, Barks reportedly fled the scene.
Subsequently, Nathan Jordan-Donald Barks was arrested and faced multiple charges in connection with Sinkey's death. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office charged him with second-degree murder, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of felony firearm. He was arraigned in 34th District Court in Romulus and was remanded to jail.
