Man in custody after his wife was found dead in their home

By James Felton, James Paxson

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    SAGINAW TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WNEM) — After hours of searching, investigators tracked down a local man wanted for questioning in the death of his wife.

Saginaw Township Police were called to a home on Lamplighter Drive near Hospital and McCarty Wednesday afternoon. Upon arrival, they found 49-year-old Shantina Davenport-Mitchell dead inside.

Investigators quickly launched a search to find the woman’s husband, Lonnie Mitchell Jr. Mitchell is now in jail awaiting formal charges.

“I never thought that he would do something like this,” said Dasia Parker, Mitchell’s daughter.

Police are seeking murder charges against Mitchell for his wife’s death. She was found dead in the couple’s Saginaw Township home Wednesday. Parker said she just spoke with her on Monday.

“Shantina just started telling how like he been like not himself lately and she don’t want him back in the house and stuff like that,” Parker said.

Parker said the pair had a troubled marriage. She also said her dad was taking medication.

“I’m not going to say he’s crazy but like he takes medication just to be right in the head. Like I don’t know, it’s like I’m shocked but then I’m not,” Parker said.

Shortly after Davenport-Mitchell was found, authorities named her husband as a person of interest. Detectives got a tip Mitchell was at a home in Flint. That is where he was taken into custody in the early hours of Thursday morning.

“He came out peacefully with no problem or anything like that. Came out and was brought back here to the police department, was interviewed by detectives, and then once the interview was completed, the detectives felt that they had enough probable cause to make the arrest for murder in this case,” Saginaw Township Police Chief Donald Pussehl said.

Mitchell is lodged in the Saginaw County Jail. The investigation is ongoing with formal criminal charges pending.

In the meantime, two families are grieving the tragic chain of events that played out in the quiet neighborhood.

“We have two lives here potentially ruined unfortunately where she’s deceased, and you know if it shows that he was responsible for this murder, that’s going to be some serious charges brought against him. And so, for both families it’s just sad,” Pussehl said.

As for Parker, she called Wednesday the worst day of her life. She knows there are people that are in a lot of pain tonight.

“I’m just going to keep everybody in my prayers. Can’t nothing good come out of this situation. So, I can’t tell everybody like keep their head up because I know how it is to lose somebody,” Parker said.

Pussehl said this is the second homicide of the year in Saginaw Township.

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