On 02/22/2026 at approximately 8:00am a cellular phone was turned into the Marquette Police Department which had been found on the city multiuse path between UPHS-Marquette and McDonald’s. The cellular phone was associated with 21-year-old Trenton Massey. Contact was made with a family member who advised they would notify Massey of the found phone. At approximately 1:30pm the Marquette Police Department received a report from that same family member that Massey had not been heard from and was missing. It was reported that Massey was last seen in the downtown Marquette area during the early morning hours of 02/22/2026.
Massey was located on city camera footage traveling eastbound on the city multiuse path near UPHS-Marquette at approximately 2:50am. Officers began searching the area along the multiuse path and a short time later requested assistance from additional agencies. Search efforts continued into the late evening by various emergency service organizations and volunteers.
By evening of 02/22/2026, additional camera footage was located which showed Massey walking to the area of the Founder’s Landing Boardwalk. At approximately 3:35am on 02/22/2026 Massey was observed walking out onto the ice from the north Founder’s Landing Pier and then disappearing from the camera view. As of 02/25/2026, this was the last known location / image of Massey.
Search efforts for Massey resumed on 02/23/2026 in the area of Founder’s Landing and continued until 02/25/2026. Searches were conducted on land, on the ice, from the air and underwater. Technical search resources included scuba divers, sonar, aerial drones, underwater remote operated vehicles, K9s, hover craft, air boat, and helicopter. The search area encompassed the Founder’s Landing area, downtown Marquette, ice / water of the lower harbor, city multiuse path, Mattson Lower Harbor Park and neighborhoods west of Front Street.
Multiple agencies provided resources and assistance with the search including the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office, Marquette County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, Northern Michigan University Police Department, Michigan State Police K9s and Marine Services Team, Marquette City Fire Department, US Coast Guard Station Marquette, US Army, Michigan DNR Conservation Officers, Alger County Sheriff’s Office, No One Left Behind K9 Search and
Rescue, Northern Michigan University, Frontline Strong, and numerous volunteers from the community. Multiple area businesses also assisted by providing locations for searchers to warm up along with food, drink, and transportation.
As of 4:00pm on 02/25/2026 Massey has not been located. Search efforts have been suspended by law enforcement pending new information. Investigation of this incident is ongoing by the Marquette Police Department. Volunteer search efforts may continue, but please be mindful of private property and stay off the ice.
The Marquette Police Department would like to thank our partner agencies and volunteers for helping us during this unfortunate situation.
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