On May 19, 2019, Michael Coates was last seen at the home he shared with his mother. He was still at home when his mother left to run some errands. According to Michael's family, there was nothing unusual about that day. When Michael's mother arrived home later in the evening, he was gone. She thought he had left for the night and wasn't concerned.


The next day, an unidentified body was found in Muncie, Indiana's wastewater treatment center. The body was pulled from waste water and landed on a conveyor belt where waste is filtered. An employee at the facility found the body after it had fallen off the conveyor and landed on the concrete floor. His body would have been ground up had it not fallen off the conveyor belt. Michael's family heard about the unidentified body but didn't know who it belonged to.


The family learned that Muncie Police identified the corpse in the treatment center as Michael Coates. It's believed someone killed him and then placed his body into the sewer. Since Michael didn't have a car, it's unknown if he walked away from his home or if someone drove him somewhere. Teresa Dodd, who is one of Michael's sister's said her brother was a caring man who would do anything for his loved ones. Michael had a son who no longer has a father.


Unfortunately, Michael's family remains without answers three years after his death. Autopsy results indicate that his cause of death is unknown. For this episode, Teresa Dodd discusses the death of her brother and how he was discarded like trash.


The Muncie Police Department is asking the public for assistance in finding out what happened to Michael Coates. The family and law enforcement realize there are people out there who know who killed Michael. They understand people may be apprehensive about providing tips. Citizens with information about this case can report their tips anonymously. For this story, I spoke to Teresa Dodd who is seeking answers about her brother’s homicide.


A $5,000 reward is being offered by the family for any information that can help solve this case. What happened to Michael? If you know anything about this case, please contact Crime Stoppers at (765)286-4050 or you can reach out to the Muncie Police Department at (765)747-4867.


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