The above quotations are from a FBI interview of Chris Busch’s oldest brother, Charles, on 4-22-08. (FOIA document p. 02255.) A commenter from a few weeks back wanted to know more about Chris Busch. The following is based on FOIA documents, and by no means a complete overview of the information contained in the MSP files concerning Christopher Brian Busch. I could spend five days cross-referencing articles from 1976-77 in The Traverse City Record-Eagle, the FBI interview of Busch’s brother, the interview of the husband of the deceased attorney who represented Busch in his numerous criminal sexual conduct cases around the state of Michigan, Busch’s “suicide” file, his file with the MSP and Flint PD from back in 1977, and transcripts from his appearances before Oakland County Judge Templin and other judges around the state who let this pedophile walk time and again. Here is a short overview of what I’ve read.
First, a totally depressing observation: It’s obvious the authorities/legal system let the few victims who were brave enough to come forward and press charges against Busch and his “pal” Greg Green hang out there on their own. Four convictions around the state–Busch pleaded guilty for god’s sake!–but only probation; no prison time. “Thank you for playing, boys, now beat it.” By the time Busch appears before Judge Templin on yet another CSC, this time in Oakland County, he is now a model citizen–the best CSC arrestee his attorney Jane Burgess, had ever seen in her ten years of defending criminals–and come on, Your Honor, let’s leave him out on the street to deal with little boys as he and his local psychiatrist see fit. Can he be in the presence of youngsters if their parents are present, Your Honor? (She seriously asked for this clarification at the end of a hearing.)
So here is a little more background on our gregarious chef and friend to all (all those over 18 and able to physically defend themselves), Chris Busch.
Chris Busch was born on 7/31/51, the youngest of four boys born to Elsie and H. Lee Busch. The family moved frequently when the kids were young because the father was an executive with General Motors for 40 years. In fact he was an Executive Financial Director in Europe and the United States for GM.
Three of the four sons predeceased the parents, who lived until their early-90’s. One son, described as “a homosexual and ‘kind of an activist,’ died of leukemia in England where he had lived for several years.” (FOIA doc. 02254.) Another son died approximately 10 years ago “in Michigan of congestive heart failure and diabetes,” and had struggled with alcoholism. (Id.) Chris “committed suicide” on November 22 1978, and was the first of the sons to die. He was cremated two days later at a funeral home in Birmingham, two short blocks from my parents’ house. There was a small death notice for Busch, but I could find no obituary.
From about first grade on, Busch attended LeRosey boarding school in Switzerland. After he graduated, I am sorry to say, he stayed on as an instructor “for a time.” Busch then attended Wayne State University in Detroit for one year. (FOIA doc. 02255.) He later went to a culinary institute in Midland, MI. His father provided the financial backing to open up a bar/restaurant called The Scotsman in Alma, MI. While Chris Busch was running The Scotsman, he was living in a rental home at 736 N. State Street, Alma, MI.
At some point after Busch was arrested for CSC with a minor at The Scotsman in January 1977, he moved home to his parents’ house in Bloomfield Village, MI. The Buschs lived in the Bloomfield Village home from 1970 to July, 1979. Busch was employed as an administrative chef at an assisted living/retirement apartment complex called Franklin Club Apartments, 28301 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI, for about one month–until November 4, 1978. The manager of the complex at the time was Bob Prussack. Prussack said Busch quit in order to pursue a new job at Franklin Terrace Apartments, another assisted living facility, located at 26962 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI. According to Busch’s father, Chris was to start his new job on 11/22/78, the day he was found dead in his parents’ home.
At the time of Tim’s abduction, Busch was driving a 1975 blue Chevrolet Vega hatchback, with white stripes painted on the side. Associates of Busch were Greg Green and Vince Gunnells. Another possible associate was James V. Ruocco (also born in 1951, and a photographer–information from The Traverse City Record-Eagle, 1977).
Busch’s only first-degree living relative is Charles Nels Busch. His son was five or six at the time all of these CSC allegations were floating around, and Charles and his wife made sure their son was never alone with Uncle Chris. Good move. Chris’ criminal defense attorney and her husband were apparently ok with Chris–a real nice guy, by the way–and they once stayed at the Busch cottage up north. Chris even came over when they were there made them and their kid dinner. He made his attorney a gingerbread house at Christmas time. Outwardly, at least, Chris was not the monster Greg Green was.
I posted a link to this entry on the FB page “Investigate the Investigation into the Oakland County Child Murders” (an open FB page started by attorney Paul Hughes). I can’t bring myself to post to my FB page because this photo makes me sick and I don’t want it on my FB page.
Cannot find this page on FB. Is it still up?
How sickening. Ours is too. :(. So frustrating to know he was let go time and time again. Can they go after the other two?
Jessie Kanehl
Going to post after all–someone marked this as spam on the open FB page noted above. Go figure.
Thank you. Very interesting and more info would be even more interesting. There are answers here somewhere. Two of the brothers were gay. Really interesting.
What is an FB page and where is the link? Thanks
Okay, I found the giant picture of the creep. i GUESS YOU CAN TELL i DON’T DO FACEBOOK.
I simply want to say I am beginner to blogging and site-building and honestly liked you’re web page. Likely I’m going to bookmark your site . You certainly come with awesome posts. Kudos for sharing your web site.
Did ” Allen” shoot him between the eyes?
Hey this James Ruocco character, is he the same guy that is connected to half of Hollywood, who has worked diligently in the entertainment industry for years? Has he ever been looked into?
“At the time of Tim’s abduction, Busch was driving a 1975 blue Chevrolet Vega hatchback, with white stripes painted on the side.”
Has anyone noticed that this description, the general sort of car body that was blue with a white stripe, almost precisely matches the “debunked” blue with a white stripe Gremlin? To me, both cars look very similar, and how many cars are blue with a white stripe from this time period?
I picked up on that too just now. Cars would seem to be quite similar.
Yes I think Mr Appelmsn made that point in his book , The Kill Jar.
Hello,
I couldn’t help but notice in your blog, “At the time of Tim’s abduction, Busch was driving a 1975 blue Chevrolet Vega hatchback, with white stripes painted on the side.” is it possible that the witness who originally came forward to describe the original suspect vehicle as a blue gremlin with a white stripe misidentified the vehicle in the first place? Although the two vehicles are markedly different body styles it just strikes me as more than a coincidence that the original vehicle was described as being blue in color with a white stripe and Chris Busch had the same color and stripe on his vehicle. I only ask because years ago while attending college one of my professors did an exercise where, unbeknownst to the class, she had someone run into the lecture hall yell something and run out. When she asked the question to the class to describe the individual, approximately 150 students, all had different description of the individual, from clothing to physical characteristics. Witnesses can certainly be incorrect on some details. Has anyone else noticed the similarity?
Hi David–yes, eye witness testimony can be notoriously unreliable, especially under circumstances where there is apparently nothing out of the ordinary going on. Recall is tough under the best circumstances. As for Busch’s blue Vega with, of course, a fucking white hockey stripe–just another one of those coincidences. And how awesome that the described car was an AMC model, not an untouchable GM model! Another coincidence like the fact that Busch lived right around the corner from John Hastings. And that John McKinney and Richard Hojnacki and Chris Flynn wound up dead as all of this was simmering. And Larry Wasser running into Patrick Coffey and spilling the beans about Chris Busch 35 years later. And that the FBI facility with the records of the Fox Island investigation, Chris Busch and Frank Shelden was flooded and all the documents destroyed. And many other “coincidences.” It’s called gas lighting, folks. I’m sorry, Cathy, I know the sun is out, but it is really night time. Really. Nothing to see here. No solid DNA evidence, missing evidence–sorry, what is it you want again you dumb bitch?! I’ll tell you what I want. To keep these fucks from erasing these kids and other victims from Oakland County and surrounding areas. To keep them from looking away. For the people in Oakland County to face what really happened back in the day, the cover up that continues to this very minute, and to stop congratulating themselves for living in such a safe, privileged area, and for never demanding answers. For a reckoning that will blow the lid on how child victims of sex abuse and worse are treated by a system like this. I have news for you–I am not the crazy person here.
Just a side note, as someone who lived in Oakland County and was between 6 and 8 when all of this was happening and having a parent who worked for Oakland County during this time as well definitely affected me. I would also like to point out that as a former state employee I have worked around the most vial and twisted people, just like the suspects in this case so I am definitely one who knows just how unsafe people really are. We are all just one family member, one house, one street, one town away from the sickness that infects these people. No disillusion here my friend. I also know that no matter what, man may escape man’s justice but no one escapes God’s.
Vile, not vial. Apologies auto correct
I do hope this guys parents are living in a special section of hell for protecting their spawn in all this. I’m just wondering if his brother killed him ? God knows if I were related I would have killed him.
Hello lady and sorry for what happened with your brother. I’ve been reading about it and I’m heartbroken. I found a pic of that Busch’s friend. Not sure if it helps, just my two cents. You know, they will never take away the good memories about those kids. Here’s the picture link.
https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/605/78/9078605.jpg
Thank you, Jaime.
This freak was ticking time bomb – let go time and time again to spread his disease, ruin young lives and wreak havoc and destruction – so twisted he molested His OWN NEPHEWS(wtf???)
His parents, lawyers and Larry Wasser deserve a special ill place in HELL for covering the truth and unleashing this monster on unsuspecting communities all over the state. What happened to Tim could have happened to any one of us! We ALL need to keep pushing for the truth and not just leave it to the victims’ families.
Thank you, a. And the MSP, the Oakland County prosecutor’s office (under Patterson, Thompson, Cooper and Walton), the office of Sheriff Mike Bouchard and Birmingham PD all have to account for hiding the truth and taking very active steps to do so.
Not sure if this has been updated elsewhere, but I just saw an arrest record for Chris Busch (January 1977) from Alma (when he was at The Scotsman) that listed his vehicle as a 1977 black GMC Jimmy.