On November 16, 2018, Chong Moua Yang, a 68-year-old Hmong male from Lansing, went deer hunting in the Rose Lake State Game Area in Bath Township, a place he frequented. When he did not return home after dark, his family grew concerned and went searching for him. They found him at the base of his tree stand, face down, with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
It was clear that this was not a hunting accident; many of his belongings, including his shotgun, backpack, knife, and headlamp, were missing.
For years, the case remained cold, a source of persistent grief and uncertainty for his family. Investigators from the Bath Township Police Department, with assistance from the FBI and other local agencies, continued to pursue leads. The family, seeking justice for their loved one, created a social media presence called 'Orange Justice' to keep the case in the public eye and encourage anyone with information to come forward. The hunting community in Michigan also rallied in support of the family, mourning the loss of one of their own.
A breakthrough in the investigation came in December 2022, over four years after the incident. The Michigan Attorney General announced the arrests of two men, 34-year-old Thomas Olson of Grand Blanc Township and 34-year-old Robert Rodway of St. Johns. Both men were charged with felony murder and felony firearm. The arrests were the result of a painstaking investigation that pieced together witness testimony and physical evidence, including a plastic bag of hunting spray found near the scene.
In February 2024, Thomas Olson was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder and a weapons charge. Two months later, he was sentenced to 22.5 to 60 years in prison. The prosecution successfully argued that Olson was responsible for shooting and killing Chong Moua Yang and then stealing his possessions. While the verdict and sentencing brought a measure of closure, the family continues to mourn the senseless loss of a husband, father, and grandfather.
