Traverse City Stabbing Suspect Dug Up Bodies In The Past

The suspect accused of stabbing 11 people at a Walmart near Traverse City was charged nine years ago with digging up and mutilating dead bodies.

Traverse City, Michigan, has experienced significant growth over the past 40 years. I recall a time when there were only a few resort hotels, golf courses, restaurants, wineries, and marinas all near the main drag. It has become a full-blown city.

Traverse City is Forever Changed

I was in Traverse City just two days before Police arrested and accused Gille of stabbing 11 people at the checkout area of the local Walmart. My son and I were vacationing an hour south of Traverse City in Arcadia with our family when a rainy day caused us to drive up to see a movie.

My brother-in-law, his mother, father, and his grandparents have spent a lifetime in the area near Traverse City, and to hear them say that nothing this shocking has ever happened in the region for over a hundred years was surreal.

Read More: Michigan Mom Killed by Truck While Holding Baby

It was a common conversation in the area for the rest of the weekend and probably for years to come. Traverse City has long been known as a happy place for vacationers and locals, and home of the annual Cherry Festival, but Saturday, July 25, 2025, will be remembered as its darkest day.

Walmart Attack Suspect Tied To Old Grave-Digging Case

According to WOOD, Bradford Gille has a long history of mental illness. Gille had received treatment for a year at the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital after being found not guilty because of insanity for digging up and mutilating bodies, vandalizing tombs, and memorials at a Petoskey cemetery nine years ago.

42-year-old Gille claimed to doctors at the time that the bodies had been buried alive.

Gille's mental illness dates back to 2004, when he attacked his father at the age of 21. He has long been known to be a threat to himself and others by authorities and doctors since he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

Get our free mobile app

Unfortunately, for the 11 victims of the Walmart stabbing attacks, the Emmet County Sheriff's Department had a judge order to pick up Gille on the Friday before because he was a substantial risk to harm himself or others. The sheriff wrote a statement that read, "Regrettably, less than 24 hours after receiving this order, a tragic series of events occurred in Traverse City. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in this devastating situation."

👇BELOW: Dangerous Documentaries: Check Out These Binge-Worthy Shows That Focus on Michigan Murderers👇