IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – Dickinson County authorities ramped up their investigation into the 2016 disappearance of Nancy Renkas, a Florence County woman who vanished more than eight years ago. Police and the Dickinson County Prosecutor executed search warrants on multiple properties in Breitung Township, aiming to uncover new evidence in the long-standing case.
WZMQ obtained court documents and search warrants through a Freedom of Information Act request, revealing that local, state, and federal agencies—including the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan State Police, and the FBI—collaborated on these searches. The focus was on finding human remains, biological evidence, and personal items linked to Renkas. Investigators also seized electronic devices and written materials in hopes of discovering new leads. Some names and addresses in the warrants were redacted.
The search warrants targeted properties belonging to approximately a dozen Breitung Township residents, including Dale and Louise Wender and Lucas and Kena Corsi. However, some primary residences were excluded from the search. Cadaver dogs and electronic detection equipment were used, covering nearly 200 acres in a location near Upper Pine Creek Rd.
A second warrant sought location data and messages from cell phones and a MacBook Pro, focusing on the critical time surrounding Renkas’s disappearance. A third warrant targeted written documents such as journals and receipts that might provide new insights.
Three search warrants were accompanied by court-ordered suppression of supporting affidavits due to the sensitive and ongoing nature of the investigation. Circuit Court Judge Christopher Ninomiya ordered the affidavits sealed until a person has been charged with a crime or named in a civil forfeiture proceeding involving evidence seized during the search.
As the investigation continues to solve this nearly decade-old disappearance case, Judge Ninomiya found probable cause to issue warrants related to “the homicide or body removal/disposal of Nancy Renkas.”
Renkas was last seen on July 18, 2016, getting into a white SUV in the parking lot of Iron Mountain’s Super One Foods. Anyone with information that might help bring justice to her case is urged to contact the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office at 906-774-6262 immediately.
WZMQ 19 News will continue to bring you the latest developments in the case.
For another recent update from the search, see WZMQ’s previous story:
For a look at the story that marked the 7-year anniversary of Renkas’s disappearance, see this story published in July of 2023:
