Elderly Michigan man accused of impersonating cop to sneak into the morgue and see his wife’s body, whom authorities say he abused

Bringing a close to a monthslong investigation, a 74-year-old Michigan man was arrested this month, February 2025, on charges he impersonated a Michigan police officer to access the morgue and see his wife’s body, whom authorities allege died as a result of his abuse.

According to the Michigan State Police, in June 2024, police responded to a call that two people, 74-year-old John Dominick Bromley and his 68-year-old wife, who has not been named in the press, were living illegally or “squatting” in an Otsego County, MI cottage without permission. While there, law enforcement noticed “extensive bruising” on Bromley’s wife’s body and that she had “difficulty breathing,” so they called an ambulance.

Michigan police said Bromley’s wife was transported to Otsego Memorial Hospital in Gaylord, MI, where she revealed a history of domestic abuse in her relationship. Sadly, she succumbed to her injuries four days after she arrived. An autopsy determined she died as a result of her injuries, which police allege Bromley caused.

Bromley attempted to see his wife’s body

OTSEGO COUNTY, MI. Troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Gaylord Post were called to investigate two persons squatting in a cabin located in Otsego County in June 2024. Troopers spoke with the occupants and confirmed they did not have permission to be there. The man,… pic.twitter.com/U1sU5yHcE6

— MSP Seventh District (@mspnorthernmi) February 13, 2025

Around that same time, Bromley allegedly impersonated a Michigan police trooper to enter the morgue and see his wife’s body, but he was not allowed inside. After a lengthy investigation, a warrant was issued for Bromley’s arrest, and he was taken into custody on Aggravated Domestic Violence and First Degree Vulnerable Adult Abuse and held on a $50,000 bond. Authorities caught up to Bromley in a traffic stop for speeding.

A string of officer impersonations

North Dakota man accused of impersonating an ICE officer when jail staff released an inmate to him https://t.co/APjyFbtiXx

— Jack Dura (@JackFromNoDak) February 14, 2025

Bromley’s arrest came amid a slew of other officer impersonations, including a case in North Dakota where a man was arrested for impersonating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer (ICE) officer to walk an inmate out of jail, according The Ridgefield Press. That news came along with several other reports of ICE officer impersonations while committing crimes amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, Michael Sanchez Jones, 39, was arrested and charged with impersonating an officer during a sexual assault, Raleigh’s News & Observer reported.

As well as abuse charges, according to Michigan police, Bromley is charged with impersonating an officer in Michigan’s Grand Traverse County. According to Click on Detroit, if convicted of this offense, Bromley could spend up to a year in jail unless it’s determined that he did so to commit a crime. In that case, he could spend up to four years in prison on that conviction alone.