Adam Campbell

ESCANABA — It has been 14 years since the body of 26-year-old Adam Campbell was found in a burning vehicle in Escanaba. Escanaba Public Safety is still investigating the case.

“There is not anything new but we’re just actively following any leads that do come in and following up on those,” said Escanaba Public Safety Det/Sgt. Tabitha Turnacliff, the lead officer on the case.

Campbell was last seen leaving Barron’s Bar on the 1100 block of Ludington Street at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday April 9, 2011, traveling westbound on the sidewalk. At 3:30 a.m., Escanaba Public Safety officers were dispatched to a car fire in an alley off the 300 block of South 19th Street. When the fire was extinguished, a body later identified as Campbell was found inside the vehicle.

Over the years, little has been released about Campbell’s death. A cause of death was determined by autopsy, but was not released to the public due to the ongoing investigation. Police have also not released who owned the vehicle Campbell’s body was discovered in, but have said it did not belong to Campbell.

Campbell had moved from Marquette to return to Escanaba to work and live closer to his son two months before his death. The investigation has not revealed anything in Campbell’s past that would have made him a target.

In past interviews, former Dt./Lt. Darrin Hunter, who is no longer with Escanaba Public Safety but was the lead officer on the case for many years, suggested Campbell’s death may have been a case of mistaken identity. He indicated another individual, also named “Adam,” may have been the intended victim.

Over the past several years, a number of tips have been given to Escanaba Public Safety about the events leading up to Campbell’s death, but those leads have not resulted in any definitive answers.

The case remains important to the department. On the Escanaba Public Safety page of the Escanaba city website, www.escanaba.org/safety, visitors are met with a short synopsis of the case and a link to a Crime Stoppers poster about the incident that includes information about anonymous phone and online tip lines. A reward is also offered for those who do not remain anonymous.

Turnacliff encourages anyone with information on Campbell’s death or what may have happened prior to the car fire to contact Escanaba Public Safety at 906-786-5911 and speak to one of the department’s detectives.