Barn fire deaths ruled as murder-suicide
ALPENA, Mich.— The medical examiner has deemed the deaths in the barn fire on Long Lake Road in Alpena Township as a murder suicide. Police said the motive stemmed from a disagreement regarding family matters.
The bodies were identified as 60 year-old James Polluch of Stanwood and 58 year-old Michael Polluch of Alpena. Michael Polluch received several gunshot wounds to the body from a 40 caliber gun.
The older brother James Polluch died from a self inflicted gunshot wound. Both bodies were found in the fire and identified during an autopsy performed in Grand Rapids.
The extensive damage to the barn made it too difficult for officials to determine the cause of the fire. Lieutenant Derrick Carroll with the Michigan State Police said, “This was an unfortunate event that no one in the family saw coming.”
