April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com


UPDATE - 5:18pm 10/19/23: The search for 60-year-old Kelly McWhirter has turned into a recovery mission and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating her disappearance as a homicide.



The suspect in the disappearance of a Genesee County woman has been identified as her husband, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Tuesday, October 17.

Authorities provided an update on the “high profile” case, stating the location of 60-year-old Kelly McWhirter is still unknown.

McWhirter has ties to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and was a secretary there for many years. She currently works in the Board of Commissioner's office and her colleagues told investigators they found it odd that she did not come to work on Monday morning.

It is believed before McWhirter went missing sometime on Saturday, October 14 after a likely altercation with her husband, 57-year-old Steven Higgins, at their home in Flushing.

Deputies visited the home and noticed signs of an altercation that involved blood loss. There were also signs of struggle in McWhirter’s vehicle that was parked in the driveway. Higgins's vehicle, however, was not there.

With the help of the FBI, authorities were able to collect phone records that showed Higgins had visited a friend’s home in Norwalk, Ohio on Saturday and Sunday. The FBI also determined Higgins drove there in McWhirter's vehicle.

Sheriff Swanson said Higgins's friend in Ohio was contacted and complied with investigators.

Early Tuesday, a Saginaw resident heard the missing person’s report and identified Higgins's gray 2009 Ford pickup truck (pictured) driving nearby. Officers tracked down the pickup, driven by Higgins, and pulled him over about 10 miles from his home in Flushing.

When Higgins was asked to get out of the vehicle, he did not comply with officers and pulled out a firearm. He then proceeded to shoot himself in the head.

Higgins died while being transported to the hospital.

Authorities are still searching for McWhirter's whereabouts. Investigators ask that if you observed a 2022 White Hyundai Tucson or 2009 Gray Ford F150 Truck parked on the the side of the road between Saturday, October 14 and Tuesday, October 17 on I-75, US-23, I90 from Ogemaw County, MI to Norwalk, OH please call 911 or 810-257-3422.

Multiple law enforcement agencies, including officers in Ohio, are utilizing drones and K-9 Units to investigate; however, Sheriff Swanson says they are relying on tips from community members, "either directly or indirectly" to gather more information regarding the stopping points of the two vehicles in question.

A link to the Genesee County Facebook page for updates on this case is provided.