LaVern Chupp

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Michigan State Police (MI)

Offense Location:

Constantine, MI

Summary:

LaVern 'Vern' Chupp, 70, was found murdered inside his secluded log cabin along the St. Joseph River in Constantine Township, Michigan, on September 1, 2015. The owner of Chupp's Construction was discovered deceased by a family member. Michigan State Police investigated with no suspects publicly identified. The case remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

LaVern S. Chupp, 70, known as Vern, was a longtime resident of Constantine Township, St. Joseph County, Michigan. Born November 29, 1944, in LaGrange County, Indiana, he moved to the Constantine area in 1951. He worked for many years in the recreational vehicle industry at Banner Mobile Homes in Elkhart, Indiana, before establishing his own ventures as owner and operator of Chupp's Construction and Chupp's Rentals. He lived alone in a secluded log cabin along the St. Joseph River off Riverside Drive in Constantine Township. On September 1, 2015, a family member discovered Chupp deceased inside his home. The circumstances and cause of his death were not publicly disclosed pending autopsy results. Michigan State Police Detective Sergeant Michael Spring led the investigation. As of September 2015, investigators reported no suspects. The killing was the third homicide in St. Joseph County within a two-week period in late August and early September 2015 — an unusual cluster for a county that typically experienced only one homicide per year. The other two deaths — a shooting in Three Rivers and the discovery of a migrant worker's body in Florence Township — were unrelated incidents. No arrests have been publicly reported in connection with Chupp's death. The case remains open.

Case Last Updated:

May 18, 2026