Fall onto slab killed woman, police say

Shrouded by a dark northern Michigan sky, Florence Unger died when she went over a wooden handrail, fell 12 feet off a deck and hit her head on a concrete slab below. For the record
Commenting in Thursday's Free Press on the tragic death of Florence Unger in northern Michigan, Rick Lannin, assistant manager of the Brookside Inn in Beulah, said violence is rare in Benzie County. However, two people have been killed in the county during the past two weeks.
"It's not like you're in downtown Detroit, where shootings happen all the time," Lannin said.

But people who spend time in downtown Detroit know shootings almost never happen there.

"We rarely have violent crimes occur in the 1st Precinct," which includes downtown Detroit, said Detroit Police Cmdr. Craig Schwartz of the major crimes division. "It's one of the lowest crime areas in the city. Most of the crimes that occur in the 1st Precinct are minor larceny crimes."

Police say they are certain foul play is involved in Florence Unger's death on Oct. 24. Their evidence: a broken piece of railing and the fact that the body of the Huntington Woods woman was dragged several feet across the concrete into Lower Herring Lake.

"The body moved and it shouldn't have," said State Police Trooper Rick Doehring, who is involved in the investigation. "There's no question that there was an outside force involved."

Benzie County Sheriff's investigators, State Police and county Prosecutor Anthony Cicchelli met Thursday for three hours to discuss the investigation.

A handrail support was broken, and blood was found on the slab, Sheriff Robert Blank said.

"We need more evidence," Blank said.

Blank said he is hoping to complete his report by Monday and turn it over to the prosecutor, who will decide whether charges should be filed.

Investigators are waiting for forensics results from the State Police crime lab that should help them determine what happened the night before Unger was found dead. Cicchelli said he will refrain from making any conclusions until all test results are final.

Florence Unger's husband Mark Unger, 43, remains the only suspect, police say.

The Ungers were in the process of ending their 13-year marriage; Florence Unger, 37, filed for divorce Aug. 26. But according to filings in Oakland County Circuit Court, Mark Unger did not want the divorce and believed the couple could reconcile.

On Friday, they took their children, Max, 10, and Tyler, 7, to a northern Michigan resort they frequented. Florence Unger's friend and exercise trainer said she did not want to make the trip, but gave in to her husband's insistence.

On Saturday morning, Florence Unger was found facedown in the lake wearing jeans and a shirt, wrapped in a light-colored blanket, Blank said.

On Monday, Benzie County Circuit Judge Nancy Kida ordered the Unger children placed in the care of an uncle. The boys were reinterviewed by sheriff's investigators Wednesday and returned to metro Detroit later that afternoon, said Mark Unger's attorney, Robert Harrison.

Investigators said the Unger boys knew their parents were preparing to divorce the weekend their mother died, and appeared to be handling the news well.

While searching the Watervale Inn cottage the family rented, police found a note written by Max: "Mom and Dad, even if you do duvores you will owase be my mom and I will owase love you."