Sheriff: Foul play unlikely in Hamlin man’s death.

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief.

HAMLIN TWP. — The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is likely to rule out foul play in the death of Hamlin Township resident Cody L. Bowden. Bowden, 26 was found dead by family members on family-owned property Sunday morning. Family members had not been in contact with him since Friday, Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole said.

“On Saturday they started looking for him,” Cole said. “They started to get concerned Saturday when they called his cell phone and it went directly to voicemail. This was unusual.”

Cole said Bowden lived on Jagger Road east of Lakeshore Drive. It was common for him to walk a trail in the woods from his house to Jay’s Country Store, located just down the road at the intersection of Lakeshore Dr. and M-116. A family member searched the trail and found Bowden deceased there, about 75 yards north of the 6600 block of West Jagger Road.

Initially, emergency crews were called to a “dead on arrival” call that was being classified as a possible suicide. Cole said evidence at the scene did not match match a typical suicide.

“We always need to rule out the possibility of foul play,” Cole said. An autopsy was being conducted this morning.

“There was no obvious sign of trauma to the deceased and there is no sign of foul play at this point,” Cole said.

Hamlin Township Fire Dept., Pere Marquette Twp. Fire Dept, Life EMS ambulance and Mason County Victim’s Services Unit all responded to the scene as well.