Southfield— The Oakland County child killer or killers, responsible for at least four deaths in the 1970s, are allegedly still alive and their identity known to a mystery man, according to a statement read on a Detroit radio program Friday.

In the most recent wrinkle in the strange and troubling 35-year-old case, an informant, known only as “Bob,” provided a statement to attorney Paul Hughes to read on the program.

Hughes represents Debra Jarvis, the mother of one of the victims, in a federal lawsuit filed earlier this week against the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, Michigan State Police and others for failing to turn over investigative information requested by the families.

The abductions and murders of four children in Oakland County in 1976 and 1977 have remained unsolved despite the efforts of multiple police agencies.

Similarities in the deaths of Kristine Mihelich, 10, of Berkley; Mark Stebbins, 12, of Ferndale; Jill Robinson, 12, of Royal Oak, and Timothy King 11, of Birmingham, have always led investigators to believe they were at the hands of one or more people acting separately or together.

The victims were held for several days, fed and kept clean, until their bodies were discarded in public places to be found. No one has ever been charged.

“I have been in contact with him (Bob) for the past two years and he has information beyond the old newspaper articles,” Mihelich’s mother, Debra Jarvis, told reporter Charlie Langton on his talk show Friday on WXYT-AM (1270). “… He may be our answer.”

Also on the program was Barry King, whose son was the last to be abducted and killed. King has litigation pending against the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office and others.

He seeks investigative reports he believes will link his son’s death with a Bloomfield Township man, Christopher Busch. Busch had been the subject of large-scale child molestation investigations but committed suicide in 1978.

“I think he (Busch) was involved in the case,” said King. “I believe there were a lot of people involved.”

Several law enforcement officers have confirmed they talked with Bob in a conference telephone call nearly two years ago, but when the prosecutor’s office later denied Bob some information regarding the deaths, he refused to cooperate further.

For still-unclear reasons, Bob will not only not reveal his identity, but has repeatedly refused to provide evidence, including names of the people responsible for the killings, to authorities.

Oddly, Friday’s program began with a caller who identified himself as Bob. The caller began discussing his concerns but suddenly hung up when Langton asked him if he was frightened to come forward.

Jarvis and Hughes, both of whom know his voice because they have talked extensively with Bob, both described the caller as a prankster. Both Jarvis and Hughes said they do not know his true identity.

Bob — through his statement read by Hughes — said more than $100,000 and 5,000 hours have been spent over the past six years in an independent investigation of the deaths.

Through Hughes, Bob said the unnamed killers are responsible for at least six additional deaths, including one out of state.

In his statement, Bob said the killers “stopped leaving them in public places” after allegedly nearly being caught leaving King’s body on a Livonia street.

Much of the 10-minute statement attacked Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper and law enforcement for not finding the killer or for holding back information from their investigations.

Cooper and others have repeatedly said that they do not want to disclose any information that could hinder an investigation.

Cooper has noted that the FBI has been involved in the investigation in the past and that Bob should turn over his information to the Department of Justice.

Neither Cooper nor Hughes could immediately be reached by phone Friday for comment.

mmartindale@detnews.com

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