A neighbor’s concern for a man and his wife ended with a SWAT team descending on an Michigan suburb.
According to Fox 2, a local residents called police after becoming worried about Dirk Grunewald, 53, and his wife, Ariane Grunewald Bluem, 57, both of whom “seemed to disappear.”
When police arrived at their home in Bloomfield Township, 25 miles north of Detroit, they found Dirk Grunewald holed up in his bedroom and surrounded by an array of knives, the outlet reports.
According to police, the “severely decomposed” body of his wife was found on the sofa. They believe she had been there for at least two months.
Dirk Grunewald initially refused to speak to police and needed to be coaxed out of his bedroom by crisis negotiators and a SWAT team from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, authorities say.
He has since been transferred to Trinity Health Oakland Hospital for medical and mental health treatment.
A mugshot of Dirk Grunewald has not been shared yet by police, as he has not yet been booked into jail, according to Fox 2.
Meanwhile, the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office says it has conducted an autopsy, but the cause of Ariane Grunewald Bluem’s death remains unknown.
“Is it a homicide; is it not a homicide? All of these are things we have to wait for the medical examiner,” said Bloomfield Township Police Chief James Gallagher.
“The husband didn’t say a word to us the day at the residence,” he added. “Those types of things are red flags.”
Police have confirmed that her death is being considered suspicious and that the investigation is ongoing.
A felony warrant was issued for Grunewald by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office on the charge of failure to report/concealing a death.
Grunewald is being now being held on a $250,000 cash bond, no 10%.
According to Fox 2, authorities have contacted an anthropologist to find out more about the couple’s lifestyle before Ariane Grunewald Bluem’s death.
The Independent has contacted Bloomfield Township police for comment.
