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Police believe Danielle Stislicki is 'not alive,' park search ends

Posted at 11:47 AM, Jul 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-19 11:47:39-04

The search for Danielle Stislicki was thrust into the spotlight, once again, when more than 100 investigators showed up in Livonia early Wednesday morning. The search at the park has ended.

Beginning around 7 a.m. Wednesday, crews from Farmington Hills Police, Livonia Police, the FBI and more than a dozen other agencies began working methodically to search a section of Hines Park. The specific target area is located off a road/walking trail near Newburgh Road and Hines Drive.

Farmington Hills Police Chief Nebus described it as an “obvious” place to search, noting its connection to Floyd Galloway Jr.

Galloway became a person of interest during the investigation. Galloway, 30, met Stislicki at her work in Southfield. Police tell 7 Action News he was a security guard with a contracted company that provided security for MetLife, her place of work.

Police have previously executed a search warrant at his home in Berkley, however, his name became more well known in June when he was charged with separate crimes linked to the Hines Park area that is now being searched. Chief Nebus noted that FBI profilers helped them zone in on Hines Park as a possible area to be searched.

“Patterns would tell us if a person is a serial criminal they’re very likely to go back to a place they’re comfortable with if they’re disposing a body,” said Chief Nebus.

He noted that the work goes beyond profiling, stating that more than 60 search warrants have been executed to date. As for the search of Hines Park, there was no confession or information given by Galloway that would direct police to this spot.

Searchers are looking for items of clothing that Stislicki was wearing when she was last seen on December 2, 2016. At the time she was wearing a blue Eddie Bauer jacket, jeans, a black zip-up top and maroon or burgundy colored boots.

The crews looking for Stislicki are trained to watch for certain items and flag them for other crime scene techs to take over. Those involved range from police, and EMS crews, to anthropologists.

One of the difficulties for the crews will be the rough terrain. According to investigators, they’re searching an area that spreads more than a mile in either direction of the site where they gathered Wednesday morning. There are steep hills, water, and brush thick enough to shade all signs of light despite it being a sunny day.

Stislicki was last scene on December 2, 2016. She was expected to meet a friend that evening, but never showed up. Her car was found the following day in Farmington Hills at the Independence Green Apartments.

Since that time a massive campaign to spread information, and awareness, about her disappearance has spread online and physically throughout neighboring communities with a number of posters. A reward leading to her safe return ballooned past $100,000; however no leads have led to her discovery.

“Law enforcement authorities have expressed since day one that Danielle Stislicki was a victim of a crime,” said Chief Nebus in a statement. “The facts of the case lead us to believe she is not alive."

If you have information about the case, or think you may have seen Danielle Stislicki after her initial disappearance you’re urged to contact Farmington Hills Police at 248-871-2610.

Police noted that if you see any items that appear out of place, or potentially the clothes that she was wearing the last time she was seen, that you contact them.