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Person of interest in Erik Cross murder case arrested on domestic violence charge

Posted at 9:32 AM, Jun 21, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-21 10:16:16-04

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A person of interest in a decades-old murder has been arrested on an unrelated charge.

Court records show Brenton Spaulding was arrested Monday on domestic violence charges.  He is a person-of-interest in the death of Erik Cross in 1983.  Cross was 16 at the time of his death.

Investigators say on the morning of June 26, 1983, Erik was seen leaving a party at a friend’s house in Vicksburg, less than a mile from his home. A few hours later, Erik’s father would find his son’s body on the side of the road as he went to pick up the morning newspaper.  Erik’s family believes he ran into a group of teens walking home from the party the night before he was found dead. Investigators would later say, “foul play involving a rope” ultimately led to the 16-year-old’s death.

Erik Cross

Erik Cross

The cold case murderwas recently featured nationally on Crime Watch Daily, which airs weekdays at 3:00 p.m. on FOX 17.