Man Arrested for Wixom Woman's Murder

A missing Wixom woman is found in a shallow grave near Houghton Lake. Now, her boyfriend is under arrest.

"She was a nice girl. Really nice girl. Happy go lucky," said Barbara Kolson, describing her neighbor Kelly Marie Durberg before her boyfriend moved in with her.

"That's when all hell broke loose," Kolson said. "He used to beat her often. Like every night he used to beat her."

Police now believe her boyfriend is the same person who murdered the 50-year-old woman. "I believe it was probably just an argument that turned bad," said Sgt. Greg Poulson of the Michigan State Police.

Authorities say Kelly was killed inside her apartment on May 22, strangled by her boyfriend. They believe he then drove her body to Crawford County, where he buried her.

The mystery behind Durberg's disappearance did not begin to unravel until a concerned family member reported her missing on May 27. Through interviews with family and friends, investigators discovered her 49-year-old boyfriend from Howell frequented a piece of land in Crawfrod County. However, the biggest red flag is when police learned her boyfriend had borrowed an ax and shovel from a friend the day after Durberg disappeared.

"The suspect had obtained a shovel and an ax on Saturday the 23rd, I believe, and returned the shovel and ax on the 24th," Poulson said.

Almost two weeks later with the help of Michigan State Police in Houghton Lake and cadaver dogs, investigators narrowed their search to a wooded area in Crawford County and discovered the body of Kelly Marie Durber.

"Fresh grave in that area. Contacted the Grayling State Police forensic laboratory. They were able to unearth the body at that time," said Poulson.

We are told the suspect has a history of assaultive behavior and spent time in prison. He was arrested with Durberg's car in Detroit and now faces charges for her murder.