In what Michigan authorities are treating as a murder-suicide, a six-year-old boy who had gone missing was discovered dead next to his father.

When the boy’s father did not promptly return him to her custody, the mother called the police on Monday, August 19. After several days of searching, on Wednesday, August 21, everyone’s greatest fears were realized.

On August 19, in the evening, a mother called the Isabella County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan regarding her six-year-old son who went missing. The boy’s father was meant to bring him back to her that morning, but he failed to appear.

Deputies went to Michael Steven Winchell’s house and looked for him and his kid, Rowan Milford Morey, as the boy’s mother was posting images of her son on Facebook.

For the following day, police kept looking, but they were unable to find Winchell or the youngster.

Detectives were able to find Winchell’s brother, but they still couldn’t get in touch with his father, who is 48 years old.

On August 21, family members came to Winchell’s house to help with the search. Someone was searching the grounds and found a camper set up by itself in the back of the property.

They broke a window in the camper and saw Winchell, who looked like he was dead. When police broke into the tent, they found Winchell and Rowan already dead.

The case is still being looked into, but early reports say Winchell killed his son with a gun before killing himself.

“Thank you for praying for my safe return.” “Unfortunately, our worst fears came true; Rowan was found, but he is no longer with us,” Rowan’s mother wrote on Facebook after her son was found.

I don’t know what to say. How can a dad kill his own kid with a gun?