MECOSTA COUNTY — The Mecosta County District Court confirmed that the suspect in a suspicious death investigation, a 16-year-old boy, was charged as an adult in his father’s murder.
Deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriff’s office said Rick Simko was beaten and shot to death in his Fork Township home early Wednesday morning, March 6.
His teenage son was charged on Friday with first-degree murder, just two weeks after being released from a secure juvenile detention facility in Texas.
“He was at a juvenile detention facility here in the state of Michigan. For whatever circumstances, [he] was transferred to a more secure facility in Texas,” said Mecosta County Sheriff Brian Miller.
Yellow police tape still lines the exterior of the house that Rick Simko once called home. Investigators said deputies initially thought the death was a suicide, but that conclusion changed as they learned more.
“A little suspicious in nature. Maybe a little bit more than just a suicide, someone taking their own life,” said Sheriff Miller.
Even though Simko’s son was arrested and charged, accused of murdering his own father, they sheriff said their work isn’t over.
“[We] need to make sure that we’re dotting the I’s, crossing our T’s and doing everything we can to provide the best case we can to the prosecution, and that we’re fair to all parties involved,” said Sheriff Miller.
Friends and family are now remembering Rick Simko as someone who was spunky and fun. A friend from Simko’s graduating class said he loved to fish, swim, and listen to music. Aside from his hobbies, he was also a brother and devoted father.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help relieve the burden of costs for funeral arraignments and the family.