The Michigan State Police have officially identified Roni Collins, 75, as the suspect in a 1983 homicide, a breakthrough that has reignited the investigation into the 1969 disappearance of two Oscoda teenagers. Collins, a traveling musician known by the nickname “Hendrix,” died by suicide in January 2026 as detectives were preparing to collect a voluntary DNA sample from him.
The 1983 case involved 16-year-old Sheri Jo Elliott, who vanished while walking to a bus stop in Flint. Her body was discovered four days later in a Saginaw County ditch; she had been sexually assaulted and shot multiple times. In 2023, the Michigan State Police Third District Cold Case Team, assisted by students from the Western Michigan University Cold Case Program, utilized forensic genetic genealogy to develop a suspect profile that led them to Collins. DNA obtained during Collins’ autopsy conclusively matched evidence recovered from the 1983 crime scene.
Following this identification, authorities confirmed that Collins remains a major person of interest in the disappearance of Pamela Hobley, 15, and Patricia Spencer, 16, who went missing on Halloween night in 1969. Collins was approximately 19 years old at the time and was known to frequent the Oscoda area, where he played in local bands. Witnesses in 1969 reported seeing the two girls talking to a man in a van shortly before they vanished; family members noted that Collins drove a van and often spent time at a local beach park.
Although Collins was briefly questioned shortly after the 1969 disappearances, he denied any involvement, and the girls’ bodies have never been recovered. The Michigan State Police and the Oscoda Township Police Department are now urging anyone with information regarding Collins’ activities in the Oscoda area during the late 1960s to come forward.
The identification of Roni Collins was made possible through Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing, a process that goes far beyond standard police database checks. By mapping hundreds of thousands of genetic markers, scientists at Othram Labs created a comprehensive DNA profile from the 1983 crime scene. This profile was then used to search public genealogy databases, allowing investigators to build complex family trees that eventually pointed toward Collins. When he died by suicide in early 2026, an autopsy provided the final DNA sample needed to confirm he was the person responsible for the 1983 Flint murder.
Now that Collins is a confirmed killer, the investigation into the 1969 disappearance of Pamela Hobley and Patricia Spencer has gained significant momentum. Detectives are focusing on his movements in Oscoda during that era, specifically his reputation as a local musician who went by the name “Hendrix.” Because witnesses in 1969 reported seeing the girls talking to a man in a van—a vehicle Collins was known to drive—police are revisiting original statements to see if his presence at local hangouts, such as the beach park, aligns with the girls’ last known movements on Halloween night.
The Michigan State Police are now asking for help from anyone who may have known Collins during his time playing bass in local bands. They are particularly interested in his whereabouts on October 31, 1969, and are looking for information regarding any properties he may have had access to in the Oscoda or Hale areas. By reconstructing his social circle from fifty years ago, authorities hope to uncover the final piece of the puzzle that could lead them to the girls’ remains and provide their families with long-awaited closure.