Grisly Find At Lake's Bottom In Michigan

Police divers searching a lake bottom Tuesday morning recovered what is believed to be the body of a 50-year-old mother of three who has been missing for about two weeks.

Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel said he believed the corpse is Marilou Johnson. The body was found wrapped in a blanket, tied with rope and weighted down with cinder blocks 30 feet below the surface of Cass Lake in Oakland County's West Bloomfield Township.

The sheriff held off on officially saying it was Johnson because he wanted the county medical examiner and family members to identify the remains.

"They brought it to shore ... we looked at the facial features (and) it looks to be Marilou Johnson," Hackel said.

Johnson last was seen by her live-in boyfriend on June 14 at their home in Macomb County's Washington Township, about 30 miles north of Detroit. She was reported missing the next day.

David J. Wright, 37, of Richmond is being held without bond in the Macomb County Jail on felony murder, kidnapping and larceny charges.

Wright told investigators Johnson was stabbed in the throat with a fishing knife after he lured her into his trailer outside her secluded home, according to court information filed Monday.

The information said Johnson was stabbed after Wright tripped over a step and fell.

Hackel said Wright had gone to Johnson's home to give an estimate for plumbing work.

Wright told investigators he planned to demand money from her boyfriend, who was inside the house, according to the court records which also stated that he went in and stole Johnson's purse after she was stabbed.

Divers found the white purse containing her driver's license, credit cards, passport, checkbook and cell phone Monday afternoon in about 70 feet of water. Inside also was a necklace that belonged to Johnson. Diamonds had been removed from the necklace.

Police found a pill bottle containing five diamonds when they arrested Wright Saturday following a traffic stop in Roseville. The diamonds matched those in a photograph of Johnson's necklace.

Authorities put Wright under surveillance after they learned he had gone to her home on June 14.