In the summer of 2014, a tragic and bizarre sequence of events unfolded in Wyoming, Michigan, culminating in the death of 25-year-old Charles Oppenneer. He and his 18-year-old, eight-months-pregnant girlfriend, Brooke Slocum, had arranged a meeting through Craigslist with a man named Brady Oestrike. The agreement, made for the late hours of July 12, 2014, was for a sexual encounter in exchange for money, with Oppenneer present. The chosen meeting spot was Gezon Park, a place that would soon become a grim crime scene.
The grim discovery was made on July 16, 2014, when police found Oppenneer's body hidden in a wooded area of the park. The scene was horrific; he had been decapitated, and his head was missing. Investigators later determined that he had likely been shot in the head before being dismembered. While police were investigating the gruesome finding, Brooke Slocum was reported missing, launching an urgent search for the pregnant teenager. The investigation quickly led to her computer, where authorities uncovered email exchanges with the 31-year-old Oestrike, revealing their planned rendezvous.
As law enforcement prepared to execute a search warrant at Oestrike's residence on July 17, he fled, leading them on a police chase. The pursuit ended when Oestrike crashed his vehicle and took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The tragic case took another devastating turn when investigators discovered Brooke Slocum's body in the trunk of his car. Evidence suggested she had been held captive for several days before being strangled to death; her unborn child did not survive. A search of Oestrike's home uncovered a disturbing collection of firearms, knives, and restraints.
The investigation into Charles Oppenneer's murder remained open for years due to his missing head. A significant break in the case finally came in March 2019, nearly five years after the murder. A farmer discovered a human skull in a wooded area in Alpine Township, about 17 miles from Gezon Park. Using dental records, the medical examiner was able to positively identify the remains as belonging to Charles Oppenneer, bringing a long-awaited piece of closure to his family.
