Traverse City News and Events

New Suspect Connected To Suspicious Package Left At TC Bank

By Beth Milligan | Jan. 1, 2021

A tip led the Traverse City Police Department to a new suspect in the case of a suspicious package left at a local bank Wednesday.

Patrol officers went to Riverview Terrace Thursday night to interview a 63-year-old Traverse City man about two over-the-counter medicine boxes with foam cell phones on them that were left in the vestibule of Fifth Third Bank Wednesday. The suspicious boxes prompted an alert to authorities and the Michigan State Police Bomb Squad to be called in to clear the scene. The package was ultimately determined to not be explosive. The TCPD initially identified 32-year-old Joseph Michael Horger as a person of interest in the case; Horger had been arrested in December 2015 when law enforcement received a tip he was making threats to kill police officers and to bomb the Grand Traverse Mall.

The TCPD then received a tip from a caller who said they recognized the items used to create the suspicious package - the medicine boxes and foam cell phones - from the lobby of Riverview Terrace. The caller also recognized the clothing the 62-year-old suspect was wearing in surveillance video screenshots released to the public. Officers interviewed the suspect and recovered the coat, hat, and rubber gloves believed to be worn while placing the boxes in the bank vestibule.

According to the TCPD, Horger is still wanted for absconding parole, but is no longer a person of interest in the suspicious package case. The case will be forwarded to the Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney's Office on Monday for review.

Comment

NMC Rolls Out Outstanding Alumni List In Celebration Of 75th Anniversary

Read More >>

What’s The Latest On Planned North+South Rail Project?

Read More >>

Riparian Buffer Ordinance, Zoning Rewrite, Public Outreach Among 2026 City Planning Goals

Read More >>

TCBN: Mountains of Data, Cyberattacks and AI

Read More >>

Lockdown Lifted at Munson After Threat; No Active Shooter

Read More >>

Exploring Year-Round Farmers Markets

Read More >>

Carnegie/Bijou RFP, Parking Projects, City Clerk Appointment Top City Agenda

Read More >>

Past to Present: The Newcomers (Really Condensed) Guide to Traverse City

Read More >>

Last Looks At 2025: The Year's Most Eye-Popping Numbers, From Airport Traffic To Food Insecurity

Read More >>

Traverse City’s Most Violent Year? Crime Stories Dominate The Ticker’s 2025 Top 8

Read More >>

These Will Be Some Of Traverse City's 2026 Headlines

Read More >>

NMC Boardman Lake Campus Sale Set at $27M; Spring Closing Targeted

Read More >>

TCAPS Accepts State Funding Tied to Controversial Mandate

Read More >>

Tank To Table: Momentum Builds For Local Shrimp Company

Read More >>