Mom calls on Isabella Co. law enforcement to do more after her son’s tragic death

ISABELLA COUNTY - In a press conference on Tuesday, Brandi Morey-Pols – the mother of 6-year-old Rowan Milford Morey, who was found dead last week – said the tragedy could have been prevented by Isabella County law enforcement.

Brandi said she became worried for her son on Monday, Aug. 19, when his father did not return him to her custody. Two days later, Rowan and his father, Michael Winchell, were found dead on Winchell’s property.

“I would always agonize over if he was going to come home or not, and this time he didn’t,” said Brandi.

Brandi had repeatedly gone to Child Protective Services about Winchell but said they would always turn her away. When he didn’t show up with Rowan last week, Brandi went to the Isabella County Sheriff’s Office, where she said she wasn’t taken seriously.

“A mom is never wrong when she knows there’s something going on with her baby,” said Brandi. “I knew. They just didn’t help.”

Brandi said it was typical of Winchell to withhold Rowan from her to antagonize her, even recalling situations where he would shave his son’s head if Brandi did something to upset him.

Brandi and her family are now using their grief as a call to action. They want to prevent anything like this from happening again.

The case is still under investigation, but deputies suspect that Winchell killed Rowan before turning the gun on himself.