Police: Financial records key in family's death
BENZIE COUNTY -- Benzie County Sheriff's investigators are turning to financial records to piece together the last few days leading up to the deaths of Chris Luedtke, his wife Linda, and their teenage son Christopher.
The family was found dead inside their burnt-down home on November 16th. Investigators ruled the fire an arson and determined that Christopher was murdered, shot several times in the head and chest.
Police still don't know how Chris and Linda died.
Benzie County Sheriff Rory Heckman says, "We're waiting for lab reports and we're waiting for forensic reports."
Police are interviewing friends and family members, and combing through credit reports, bank statements, loan and credit applications, and cancelled checks obtained by search warrants.
Investigators believe the family's financial condition in part motivated the crime and that looking at the records will disclose evidence of criminal activity or motivation of criminal activity.
A search warrant was also issued at Little River Casino in Manistee where family members told police the couple gambled on several occasions.
Sheriff Heckman says, "It just gives us a picture of what was going on not that any one piece is going to be the ah ha moment, its just gathering information."
Search warrants were also issued for the family's phone records.
County records also show that the family construction company owed thousands of dollars in Federal, State, and Unemployment taxes.
