STURGIS, Mich. — Saturday night, the people of Sturgis came together for David Locey and his family. They shared memories and laughter during a candlelight vigil at Free Church Park.
“Not only was he a great boss, he was your best friend,” Brett Modert, an employee at Locey’s Timberly Tree Farm said.
A lit candle dedicated to Locey allowed his wife to light her candle. Each person then lit their neighbor’s wick and so on. The remembrance came three days after Locey’s murder.
Wednesday morning, the St. Joseph County prosecutor said someone shot Locey in the head. His body was found in his accounting firm by another employee.
For those who knew his kind spirit, it immediately begged the question ‘why?’
“It was quite a shock. I didn’t know what quite to think at the time,” Ben Crites, an employee at Locey’s Timberly Tree Farm said.
It didn’t take long for police to track down a person of interest. Some mourners were surprised to learn that 36-year-old Andy Brown is under the microscope for the crime.
FOX 17 learned that Brown’s family is well-loved in Sturgis and own a popular auto repair shop.
Thursday, police arrested Brown, but he wasn’t jailed for murder. He was arrested on embezzlement charges. Sources tell FOX 17 that Brown was one of Locey’s business partners. He’s accused of embezzling at least 100-thousand dollars from Locey’s accounting firm.
Sources tell FOX 17 that Locey may have confronted Brown about the missing money and may have tried to sever their business relationship.
“I think that as a family, they’d like to know who’s responsible, and I think that’ll bring a peace of mind for them to know,” Modert said.
Brown is considered a person of interest in the 70-year-old’s murder. Andy Brown is in jail on a million dollar bond.