Dad missing for 5 months found buried in woods, MI cops say. Roommate convicted

A man convicted of killing his roommate and burying his body in the woods will now spend decades in prison, Michigan officials say.

Donald Dawan Renfroe, who in May pleaded no contest in the death of 27-year-old James Wilkins, was given a prison sentence of 31 to 60 years, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.

Wilkins, described by the Warren Police Department as a “loving father and football coach,” was reported missing June 9, 2023, by “worried friends and family.”

More than five months later, his body was found “in a remote area in Oscoda Township,” police said. A cadaver dog helped investigators find his buried body in the area covered with “thick brush and trees.”

Warren is about a 190-mile drive southeast from where his body was ultimately found.

Renfroe, the 26-year-old roommate of Wilkins, had already been identified as a person of interest, according to police. While executing a search warrant at their apartment, officers said they found suspected blood and a bullet hole in the wall that had been patched.

“Detectives obtained additional evidence which showed that, on the date of Wilkins’ disappearance, Renfoe rented cleaning equipment and purchased additional cleaning supplies from a local hardware store,” according to police.

Prosecutors said Renfroe fatally shot his roommate, then concealed the crime with an accomplice, Darius Glenn.

The Detroit Free Press reported Glenn pleaded no contest in June. As part of his plea deal, he testified against Renfroe, according to WDIV.

Renfore was sentenced July 7 after pleading no contest to second-degree homicide, tampering with evidence, concealing the death of an individual and felony firearm charges.

“This case is tragic on every level. A young man lost his life, and another young man threw his future away by choosing violence,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a statement. “While his age speaks to wasted potential, it does not excuse the brutality of his actions. Today’s sentence holds him accountable and hopefully brings some measure of justice to the victim’s grieving family.”

Warren is about a 20-mile drive north from Detroit.

This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Dad missing for 5 months found buried in woods, MI cops say. Roommate convicted."