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January 27, 2012

Police await test results in Benzie case

BY ART BUKOWSKI abukowski@record-eagle.com

BEULAH — Benzie County investigators await forensic tests that could help them determine how and why three members of a Frankfort family died, and whether any were alive when an intentionally set fire leveled their home.

Answers also could help area residents come to terms with a tragedy that has gripped their town for more than two months.

Authorities found Chris and Linda Luedtke and their son, Christopher, 17, dead in their house after a Nov. 16 fire. Police later called the fire arson, and said Christopher died from multiple gunshot wounds perhaps a half-day or more before the fire.

Benzie County Sheriff Rory Heckman said his office hopes to soon receive final autopsy reports that will indicate how the parents died.

"Obviously, we know what the one victim died of, but the other two victims, the mother and the father, what exactly killed them?" he said.

Pathologists must run tests on the victims' bone marrow because the intense fire made blood tests impossible, Heckman said. That process has taken longer than anticipated, Heckman said.

"(The pathologist) told us it would take longer to get this because it takes longer to run tests on that type of specimen," he said.

Tests could determine if alcohol or drugs were involved, Heckman said, or if either victim was dead before the fire began.

Detectives also have identified the last people they believe spoke with Chris and Linda Luedtke by telephone before their deaths, Heckman said, but they want to retrieve additional cellphone records before those people are interviewed.

"We're tracking that information, and we have a couple more interviews to do yet," he said. "Obviously, it's critical to find out what was said to who."

Investigators filed a warrant to search the rubble the day after the fire. Information included with that warrant revealed one male — the body later was determined to be Christopher's — was shot twice in the chest and twice in the head.

The warrant also stated a .38-caliber revolver was found at the scene near what appeared to be a woman's body. That gun was registered to Linda Luedtke.

Investigators wouldn't say how the fire started.

The Luedtkes are a large and prominent family in Frankfort, and the incident remains a "daily topic" of conversation there, Frankfort City Superintendent Josh Mills said.

"A lot of the speculative (talk) has tapered off a bit, but the community is very anxious to find out what happened," he said.

Mills has faith that investigators will figure out what happened, but he hopes answers come soon.

"Everyone understands that it's going to take time, but the community still anticipates resolution in this case," he said.

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