LANSING -- The family of a man who Bath Township police believe was killed last week while hunting deer said Wednesday they are determined to find answers.
Loved ones of Chong Moua Yang, 68, of Lansing, gathered Wednesday afternoon in front of the State Capitol and released a 471-word statement to encourage anyone with information to help them.
"It has been five days since the incident, and it seems that there are more questions than answers," said Joseph Yang, the family's attorney and a relative of Chong Yang, who read the statement. "That is why we're turning to the community and asking for the help of everyone."
Police said Chong Yang appeared to have been fatally shot the evening of Nov. 16 while hunting on state-owned property in Bath Township. Chong Yang had permission to hunt there because it is public land, Joseph Yang said.
Police found Chong Yang's body on the land along the 8500 block of East Clark Road, near Upton Road.
Joseph Yang said the family believes Chong Yang's death was accidental. But at Wednesday's news conference Joseph Yang didn't rule out that someone may have accidentally shot Chong Yang and tried to cover it up.
"Right now, until we get more information, the family is saying we believe it was some type of hunting accident," Joseph Yang said. "Whether (someone) shot him because they thought he was a deer or some type of animal, or it was a shot misplaced, we don't know."
Chong Yang's death remains under investigation by police, the Clinton County Sheriff's Office and the state Department of Natural Resources. Police don't have a suspect at this time.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Det. Bryan Miller at 517-641-6271 or central dispatch at 989- 224-6792.
Information can also be sent anonymously to the police department's Facebook page, facebook.com/BathTownshipPolice.
A Bath Township police news release emailed Wednesday to the State Journal said several items suspected to be in Chong Yang's possession prior to his death have yet to be recovered.
Police and Joseph Yang said Chong Yang wore hunter's orange colored clothing at the time he was shot.
Police dispatched to the area at about 10 p.m. Nov. 16 after Clinton County's Central Dispatch Office received a cardiac arrest/respiratory arrest call.
Joseph Yang said the 911 call was made by family members after Chong Yang's wife called them to check up on her husband.
Joseph Yang said Chong Yang was an experienced hunter who left his Lansing home to go hunt at about 2 p.m. Nov. 16.
Chong Yang came to Lansing as a refugee, worked as a custodian at North Grand River Co-Op, and lived with his wife near Capital Region International Airport. In addition to Yang's wife, he's survived by four daughters, five sons, three daughters-in-law, two sons-in-law, eight grandsons and six granddaughters.
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help raise money for a reward leading to the arrest of the person or people who killed Yang. For information, visit https://bit.ly/2DNHK9m.
Eric Lacy is a reporter for the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at 517-377-1206 or elacy@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricLacy.
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