In what was first a heart-wrenching murder-suicide, the death of 3-year-old Anson Zwick of Lansing, Michigan, has become a somber and unsolved mystery. The young boy, who was White, passed away on April 13, 2021, a day after being found with a gunshot wound in a home in Delta Township. The initial investigation painted a grim picture of a father, Joseph Lechleitner, taking the lives of his two children before turning the gun on himself.
The tragedy unfolded when Anson, his 5-year-old
sister Vivian Zwick, and their 48-year-old father were discovered with gunshot wounds. Vivian and her father were pronounced dead at the scene, while Anson was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries the following day. Neighbors reported that the children lived with their mother and that their father, who resided in the Upper Peninsula, was a periodic visitor, with some having seen the family playing together just days before the incident.
Weeks after the initial determination, the Eaton County Sheriff's Office made a startling announcement. After a more in-depth investigation, detectives concluded that the scene was not the result of a murder-suicide. Instead, they revealed that Anson, his sister, and their father were all victims of a triple homicide. Investigators stated that they did not believe the act was random and that the family was likely targeted. Despite this significant shift in the investigation, authorities have not publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the three deaths. The case remains an active and ongoing homicide investigation, leaving a community to grapple with the unanswered questions surrounding the violent end to three lives.
