The case against Christina Kay Crow is on hold while a forensic competency evaluation is arranged.
BEULAH, Mich. — A welfare check at a Thompsonville home turned into a child assault investigation after deputies found a 5-year-old girl injured in woods behind the residence, authorities said.
The April 20 search has led to two felony charges against the child’s mother, 40-year-old Christina Kay Crow, and a court delay while officials seek a forensic competency evaluation. Crow is accused of assault with intent to murder and first-degree child abuse. She remains held on a $1 million bond while the case waits for the evaluation to be completed.
The first public step in the case was not a report of an injured child. It was a welfare check on Crow at a home on Lincoln Avenue in the Village of Thompsonville. Deputies with the Benzie County Sheriff’s Office went to the property and began investigating. While there, authorities said, they became concerned about the whereabouts and well-being of Crow’s daughter. The sheriff’s office has not said what caused that concern. After the concern arose, the focus of the response changed. Deputies began looking around the property and nearby area. About an hour and a half later, they found the girl in a wooded area behind the home.
The sheriff’s office said the child had serious injuries to her neck and face. Emergency medical personnel took her to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. She was later transferred to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids for further treatment. Officials have not released the child’s name, and they have not provided a public update on her condition. The distance between the first hospital and the children’s hospital reflects a move from local emergency care to more specialized treatment. Authorities have not said whether the child was able to speak to investigators or whether any statement from her is part of the case file.
Crow was arrested at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. She was later taken to the Benzie County Jail and arraigned April 22 in Benzie County’s 85th District Court. The charges filed against her are both felonies. Assault with intent to murder is one of the most serious assault counts prosecutors can bring under Michigan law. First-degree child abuse applies to accusations involving serious harm to a child. The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains open. “No further details are being released,” the office said, a statement that has shaped how much is publicly known about the case.
The location has also become part of the story. Thompsonville is a small northern Michigan community in Benzie County, far from the state’s largest cities and within a region better known for rural roads, woods and seasonal travel. Lincoln Avenue runs through a village setting where homes can sit close to wooded areas. Authorities have not released a map of the search area, but they have said the child was found in woods behind the residence. That detail connects the search directly to the home where deputies began the welfare check. It also helps explain why the search could unfold from the residence outward.
By the time Crow appeared in court, the criminal case had two tracks: the sheriff’s investigation and the district court schedule. A judge set her bond at $1 million cash or surety. A probable cause conference was scheduled for May 7, and a preliminary examination was scheduled for May 14. Those early hearings are normally used to review the status of a felony case and test whether prosecutors have enough evidence to proceed. They are not trials. Witness testimony can be presented at a preliminary examination, but the case may also be delayed, waived or resolved in other ways before reaching that point.
The May 14 hearing did not go forward. Court documents showed it was canceled, and the Benzie County Prosecutor’s Office said proceedings would resume after Crow receives a forensic competency evaluation. The evaluation is meant to address whether Crow is able to understand the court process and assist her lawyer. It is not the same as a finding about criminal responsibility at the time of the alleged offense. Officials did not announce when the evaluation would take place. They also did not say when the next hearing would be set. That leaves the charges pending but slows the movement of the case.
The silence from investigators has left several major facts unknown. Authorities have not said who requested the welfare check, whether deputies had been to the home before or what led them to search the woods. They have not described any weapon, any recovered evidence or the condition of the home. They have not said whether child welfare officials are involved, though such agencies often work separately from criminal investigators in cases involving young children. Court records made public so far identify the charges, the bond and the paused schedule, but they do not tell the full story of what happened before deputies arrived.
The case now stands at an unusual early point. The girl’s discovery and Crow’s arrest are fixed in the public record, but the next hearing depends on the competency process. Until that review is finished and returned to court, the felony case remains paused in Benzie County.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.