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Body of Illinois Man Reported Missing After Electric Forest Found in Wooded Area Near Festival, Michigan State Police Say
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Jul 7, 12:10 PM EDT

Body of Illinois Man Reported Missing After Electric Forest Found in Wooded Area Near Festival, Michigan State Police Say

Michigan State Police said an Illinois man reported missing after leaving Electric Forest in Rothbury was found dead near his rental vehicle, with investigators citing no indication of foul play while the medical examiner finalizes a cause of death. Police also said a newborn’s body was found earlier on festival grounds.

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Michigan State Police said the body of Jerard Jackson, 28, an Illinois native who was reported missing after attending this year’s Electric Forest Festival in Rothbury, Michigan, was found in a wooded area near the event. The discovery followed a search that began after Jackson was reported missing on Monday, June 29, after leaving the festival the same morning, according to the Sixth District announcement cited by local and national reporting.

Police said troopers responded to Jackson’s campsite earlier on Monday after he reported an unspecified alleged criminal incident involving a friend. After investigating and interviewing the involved parties, troopers determined there was no incident at the festival, and Jackson was reported to have left the venue shortly afterward, leaving behind his cellphone and other personal belongings.

Authorities said Jackson’s rental vehicle was located in the Rothbury area and that the car was found unoccupied, with Jackson’s wallet and keys inside. Investigators later found Jackson’s body in a wooded area nearby. Police said they believe he died by suicide and that there was no indication of foul play, while the investigation remained ongoing pending the medical examiner’s final report, according to coverage citing Michigan State Police statements.

The report comes as Electric Forest authorities and law enforcement are also investigating a separate death connected to the festival. Earlier in the festival period, Michigan State Police reported finding the body of a newborn infant in a portable toilet on the grounds on the final day of the four-day event, which ran June 25 through June 28, according to the Billboard report.

In the broader timeline described in the reporting, Jackson was last seen around 10 a.m. Monday after leaving the festival, before his reported disappearance prompted law enforcement activity later that day. Police said the case involving the earlier alleged incident at his campsite was closed after investigators determined there was no evidence an incident occurred at the festival, then shifted focus to locating Jackson after his disappearance.

Local reporting also described the discovery as occurring off the main festival site, near the area where Jackson’s rental vehicle had been parked, while investigators processed the scene. Police said no foul play was indicated in Jackson’s death, but they continued to gather information as the medical examiner completes findings, with the final ruling expected to come after the forensic process.

The festival, which draws tens of thousands of attendees each year, has not been described in the reporting as issuing a public safety statement specific to Jackson’s death beyond what police said about their investigation. For families and festival-goers, the incidents renew attention on emergency response planning, access to information for missing persons, and how venues coordinate with state and local law enforcement when tragedies occur during large public events.

Michigan State Police said the investigation is still active in both incidents, with the infant case described as under investigation and Jackson’s case pending the medical examiner’s final report. Until those conclusions are completed, officials are continuing fact-finding rather than providing final determinations, while the festival’s next operational steps and public communications are expected to follow law enforcement updates.

Why It Matters

  • Two deaths linked to the same festival period raise questions for public safety officials about how quickly missing-person information is acted on during high-attendance events.
  • Jackson’s case, while police said they saw no indication of foul play, remains pending a medical examiner’s final report, affecting when authorities can release a definitive cause of death.
  • The infant death remains under investigation, and police handling of that incident could shape subsequent public communications and any review of sanitation and access controls at large venues.
  • Electric Forest’s scale means any investigative findings can influence venue planning for staffing, coordination with state police, and after-incident procedures that affect families and attendees.
  • For the community near Rothbury and for state investigators, the cases extend ongoing law enforcement work beyond the event dates and may require additional forensic and witness follow-ups.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Michigan State Police said Jerard Jackson, 28, was reported missing on June 29 after leaving Electric Forest on Monday morning.
  • Troopers responded to Jackson’s campsite after he reported an alleged criminal incident involving a friend, then determined there was no evidence of an incident at the festival and that Jackson left shortly afterward.
  • Police said Jackson left his cellphone and other personal belongings behind and that his wallet and keys were found in his unoccupied rental vehicle near Rothbury.
  • Investigators said Jackson’s body was found in a wooded area near the festival grounds and that there was no indication of foul play, with investigators believing he died by suicide while the medical examiner finalizes the cause.
  • Billboard and other reporting said police are also investigating a separate death at this year’s Electric Forest: the body of a newborn found in a portable toilet on the final day, June 28.
  • Electric Forest ran from June 25 to June 28 in Rothbury, Michigan.