Sharkey wants Imlay City P.D.
to supplement investigation
IMLAY CITY — Before granting a criminal warrant in the death of a 38-year-old construction worker at Imlay Place Condominiums last month, Lapeer County Prosecutor Mike Sharkey wants to see further investigation into the incident by the Imlay City Police Department.
On Thursday (Oct. 3), Sharkey stated he had reviewed the murder warrant request, but could not issue a warrant until Imlay City Police had conducted an additional investigation.
“Before any final decision can be made on the warrant request,” said Sharkey, “I’ve requested that Imlay City police do an additional investigation and supplement its police report
“After the (ICPD) investigation is completed, I will make a final decision on the warrant request.”
It was initially reported that the victim, Craig E. Wagner, Jr., had died in a trench cave-in at the construction site in the 4000 block of S. Almont Ave. on Sept. 12.
However, an autopsy of the victim conducted by Dr. Kanubhai Virani of the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office, whose determined that Wagner had died after being struck on the head by excavating equipment being used at the work site.
Dr. Virani’s findings further revealed that the victim’s injuries could not have been sustained by the collapse of falling dirt.
His examination also indicated that the victim was deceased prior to being buried.
Imlay City Police Chief Scott Pike reported that Officers Joe DeLuca and Corey Martin were among the first to respond to the reported cave-in, along with Imlay City firefighters and Lapeer County EMS personnel.
Pike said Officers Deluca and Martin immediately jumped into the hole, along with a reporting party, and attempted to dig the victim out by hand.
Within about five minutes, Pike said the victim had been located but had suffered a severe head trauma and was deceased.
Pike said on Tuesday that Imlay City police “remained in the midst of an extensive ongoing investigation in regards to this incident.”
He added that based on the medical examiner’s findings and investigation findings, the aforementioned warrant request was submitted to the Lapeer County Prosecutors office to “determine proper criminal charges.”
Tom Wearing started at the Tri-City Times in 1989, covering the Village of Capac as a beat reporter. He later served stints as assistant editor and editor. Today, he covers Imlay City and Almont as a staff writer. He enjoys music and plays drums and sings with various musical groups in the Detroit Metropolitan area.
