- Jason Thompson, 36, disappeared from his sister’s home in Detroit on Oct. 25
- His body was found Sunday evening in a ventilation shaft at Macomb College’s theater
- Eerie footage showed him leaving his sister’s house on the day he disappeared
A months-long search for a missing father of two has ended after his decomposing body was found in the ventilation system of a community college theater in Michigan.
Police were called to Macomb Community College in Detroit after staff realized the smell permeating the school’s arts center could have a sinister cause.
They traced the smell to a vent, where they found the body of 36-year-old Jason Thompson, who had disappeared from his sister Shelby’s apartment less than a mile away on October 25.
His family had plastered Clinton Township with fliers pleading for information before the grisly discovery Sunday night.
“Jason was loved by many people and his family has been through a lot over the last month while he was missing,” his cousin Carissa Thompson wrote on a Gofundme page.
Jason Thompson, 36, was the father of Killian and Kiara and had never lost contact for more than 24 hours, his family said
Security footage at Sister Shelby’s Sterling Heights home showed the exact last moment on Oct. 25 when Thompson was seen alive
“Jason was the father of two beautiful children, Killian and Kiara. He was a son, uncle, brother, cousin, but most importantly he was loved by his family and friends and we will miss him.”
A security camera in Shelby’s apartment captured the moment he disappeared, emerging in Sterling Heights wearing black pants, Adidas shoes and a hoodie.
His family reported him missing on November 1 and began a series of daily calls to hospitals, the coroner’s office, prisons and police departments in an attempt to find him.
“Never in his life has he gone more than 24 hours without contact with our family, not once,” Shelby wrote on Facebook.
“This is completely unusual for my brother, someone knows something – what does it take for you to speak?”
College police are awaiting a cause of death from the Macomb County coroner, but Macomb College Police Chief William Leavens said there is “no reason to suspect foul play.”
His family reported him missing on November 1 and his family began a series of daily calls to hospitals, the coroner’s office, prisons and police departments in an attempt to find him
More than a month later, his decomposing body was found in a ventilation shaft at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts at Macomb Community College in nearby Clinton Township
“At this point it is important to remember that this is an ongoing investigation with the aim of understanding the circumstances,” he added.
But the discovery has horrified students at the college and left many with unanswered questions.
“You say you don’t suspect foul play?” demanded former business student Sean Kalil.
“So the guy just went into the hood himself and said, ‘I want to spend my last days here?'” “That all sounds fishy to me.”
Thompson had a lengthy criminal record, including a nine-year sentence for an armed robbery in 2008, and was on probation for retail fraud at the time of his disappearance.
College spokeswoman Jeanne M. Nicol told NBC that Thompson had no connection to the school but could not say how he gained access to the performing arts building because the investigation is ongoing.
“The college community extends its deepest condolences to Mr. Thompson’s family and friends during this difficult time,” she added.
But students have criticized the college for keeping them in the dark about the death on their campus.
“Macomb has not yet emailed students regarding this,” Ruby Bell wrote on Facebook.
“Classes are still taking place today, even in my building, which is connected to the building where the body was found.”
“I’m not sure why Macomb hasn’t reached out to us yet, but that’s very insensitive of them.”