GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A 61-year-old woman was found dead in her Grand Rapids home on Wednesday afternoon, and her boyfriend, who has a history of domestic violence, has been arrested in connection with her death. The victim, Aleta Lung, was discovered at approximately 1:30 p.m. at her residence on Haleh Circle, located south of Burton Street and off the East Beltline. Her body was found after family members, unable to contact her for several days, requested a wellness check through an apartment property manager. When authorities arrived, they discovered Lung’s lifeless body.
The Grand Rapids Police Department estimates that Lung had been dead for two to three days based on evidence and the last known contact she had with family members. An autopsy later confirmed that she died from blunt force trauma. Police described the scene as a clear indication of a violent struggle, with significant amounts of blood present.
“We arrived to a scene that was clearly suspicious and violent in nature,” said Chief Eric Winstrom of the Grand Rapids Police Department. “There was a lot of blood on scene, and it appeared there had been a struggle.”
Evidence quickly pointed to Randy Buckner, Lung’s 47-year-old boyfriend. Police had previously responded to a domestic violence incident involving the couple, and Buckner had been arrested in the past for similar offenses. Furthermore, Lung’s vehicle and keys were missing, raising further suspicion about Buckner’s involvement in the crime.
Following a search of Lung’s vehicle, a gold 2015 Lincoln MKC, police entered its license plate number into a nationwide system. It wasn’t long before law enforcement across multiple states began tracking the vehicle’s movements. Officers soon discovered that the vehicle had been spotted in Phoenix, Arizona, and tracked it heading east toward Albuquerque, New Mexico.
A coordinated effort between the U.S. Marshal Service, local law enforcement in Oklahoma and New Mexico, and Albuquerque Police led to the identification of the vehicle’s location. Undercover officers and a helicopter tracked the vehicle to a gas station parking lot in Albuquerque, where Buckner was apprehended.
“With the combined efforts of law enforcement agencies, we were able to locate Buckner still on the road in Aleta’s vehicle,” Winstrom said. “It was truly a team effort that brought him to justice.”
Buckner was arrested without incident and is expected to be extradited back to Michigan to face charges in connection with Lung’s death. The timeline for his extradition remains unclear.
Detectives are still piecing together details regarding Buckner’s movements following Lung’s death and are investigating whether he had any connections or relatives in the Albuquerque area.
“We are working diligently to ensure he is brought back to Michigan as soon as possible to face the charges,” said Winstrom.
As the investigation continues, the Grand Rapids community remains in shock over the loss of Lung, and authorities are continuing to work toward uncovering more details about the crime.
