Long before Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean retreat, there was another island where the most depraved acts against children took place in absolute secrecy.
And like Epstein, its owner was a rich and powerful member of the elite hiding in plain sight.
Keenan’s research points to the possibility that those involved in the North Fox Island ring may have played a role in the killings.
His name was Francis D. Shelden, a Yale graduate and member of an Ann Arbor, Michigan, family. He also had penchant for violating little kids.
Shelden was the owner of North Fox Island, a secluded location in Lake Michigan used as a base for a child exploitation ring during the 1970s. Much like Epstein, Shelden projected an image of philanthropy and boasted his influence and connections to mask his predatory actions.
It helped that North Fox was remote enough to be essentially lawless territory, known as a place where the rich could engage in criminal activities without fear of reprisal. Shelden used his sizable wealth to insulate himself from prosecution for years despite mounting evidence of his involvement in a large-scale sex trafficking ring.
Money talks, after all — especially when it comes to matters of corruption and coercion.
The Snow Killings
In “The Snow Killings,” Marney Rich Keenan connects the unsolved case of the Oakland County Child Killer, who terrorized Michigan in the 1970s, to the sinister events taking place on North Fox Island.
The Oakland County murders, also known as “the Snow Killings,” took place between 1976 and 1977. They involved the abduction, torture, and murder of four children: Mark Stebbins, Jill Robinson, Kristine Mihelich, and Timothy King. These abductions left the community paralyzed with fear, and the discovery of the victims’ bodies in snow-covered locations gave the case its eerie name.
The investigation into these killings uncovered links to a darker, more insidious network of child exploitation. Under the guise of running a charitable organization, Brother Paul’s Children’s Mission, Shelden and his associates lured young boys to the island under the pretense of offering them summer camp experiences. In reality, Shelden’s island was a hub for child pornography production, where boys were sexually abused on camera for distribution.
Keenan’s extensive exploration reveals key figures who were central to the exploitation ring. Although Shelden was the mastermind behind the island’s operations, he didn’t operate alone. Beasts like him rarely do.
His associate, schoolteacher Gerald Richards, was deeply involved in recruiting boys for the camps and filming the abuse. Richards’ arrest in 1976 for molestation opened the door for investigators to begin uncovering the operations on the island.
Sadly, Shelden managed to escape prosecution by fleeing the country before authorities could apprehend him. Another key figure, Dyer Grossman, was similarly implicated in the abuse. But just like the ringmaster, he disappeared as the investigation began to deepen.
No justice for victims
The nature of the child exploitation on North Fox was far-reaching, extending beyond Michigan’s borders. The materials produced on the island were distributed across state lines and even internationally, making the ring part of a larger, more organized network of child exploitation. Richards, who cooperated with authorities after his arrest, provided key insights into how the island operated and the extent of the abuse.
As for the Oakland County Child Killer, after decades on the case, it remains unsolved. But Keenan’s research points to the possibility that those involved in the North Fox Island ring may have played a role, either directly or indirectly, in the killings.
The parallels between Shelden and Epstein highlight a disturbing reality. Specifically, how the top 1% appear to play by a different set of rules, or no rules at all. Meanwhile, their victims — children whose lives were brutally cut short or permanently altered — were failed (and continue to be failed) by a system designed to protect the rich rather than seek justice.
The bigger picture
This brings us to a rather important point that really needs to be emphasized.
The United States, despite its claim to being the greatest country in the world, offers its most vulnerable citizens frighteningly little protection. Across the country, a child goes missing or is abducted every 40 seconds. That’s more than 2,000 kids every single day.
Each year, around 840,000 children are reported missing. In the land of opportunity, where well over a million pedophiles reside, children become fodder for the most perverted people imaginable. Their suffering finds itself buried beneath bureaucratic incompetence, unearned privilege, and deafening silence.
Remember, behind every statistic is a shattered family, a broken home, and a desperate plea for answers that may never come. Epstein is dead. Shelden evaded justice. The Oakland County killings were never solved.
And yet, the system that allowed these fiends to flourish remains unchanged. The machinery that protects the predators and forsakes the prey grinds on, indifferent to the suffering left in its wake. Laws may shift, investigations may stall, but the core dysfunction — the rot at the heart of it all — persists.