The clue that started the chase

Investigators found a car abandoned in Galesburg a week after a deadly hit-and-run in Kalamazoo. The interior was covered in blood, according to court records. That discovery set in motion a manhunt that ended in Tennessee with a murder charge.

Darqareion Damont Mills, 29, was formally charged Monday with second-degree murder and failing to stop when at fault resulting in death, according to the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor's Office.

The crash on South Westnedge

Mark McBride, 51, of Kalamazoo, was killed on the night of March 25 after a driver struck him near the intersection of South Westnedge Avenue and Axtell Street, according to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS).

The crash happened around 8:45 p.m., according to police reports. McBride died on the scene.

A speed analysis showed that Mills was traveling between 70 and 93 miles per hour at the time of the crash, according to court records.

The Galesburg connection

KDPS said surveillance and license plate reader technology helped investigators locate the suspect vehicle the day after the crash. The car was found abandoned in Galesburg.

Police recovered a photo ID of Mills inside the vehicle, according to court records. The driver had vanished.

A manhunt ends in an attic

Nearly two months later, U.S. Marshals tracked Mills to Haywood County, Tennessee. Law enforcement found Mills hiding in the attic space of a home in Brownsville, a town about an hour northeast of Memphis, according to the U.S. Marshals Service in Memphis.

Officials said Mills refused orders to come down. He fell through the ceiling during the confrontation.

Mills was taken into custody on May 5. He waived extradition back to Michigan.

Investigators executed search warrants on Mills's phone, which confirmed he was traveling on South Westnedge at the time McBride was hit, according to court records. Phone records also show Mills called a tow truck driver and his brother immediately after the crash, leaving voicemails and text messages stating, "Dar needs help ASAP," court records detailed.

Mills's criminal record shows he has been charged on several occasions for assaulting, resisting, and obstructing police, as well as multiple traffic violations, according to court records.

A family turns grief into a scholarship

McBride's family described him as a loving son, brother, father of two children, and grandfather.

"He just was a very special soul and touched a lot of people," said Adam McBride, Mark's younger brother. "It's hard to think about a void with him not being there."

Mark McBride worked for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. He also regularly helped at his brother's vineyard and winery, Hickory Creek in Berrien County, especially during the busy harvest season.

McBride is survived by a son, a daughter, and grandsons, according to his family.

The family visited their hometown of Wayland Tuesday night to present the first Mark McBride Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award, a $2,500 scholarship, to a Wayland Union High School senior.

The award is the first year of what the family plans to make an annual tradition.

"Our grandfather, our father, aunts, uncles, cousins, all these kids all went to Wayland," Adam McBride said. "So, we're back home and able to honor somebody that was a lot like my brother in a lot of ways... A good student, good athlete, civic-minded, involved in his community. Kind of bringing it full circle back to our hometown."

The scholarship fund began as a private family effort but grew after community members reached out asking how they could help, according to Adam McBride. The family launched a GoFundMe and raised enough to fund the award for several years. They plan to eventually transition the scholarship to a formal foundation.

"Secondary education was so important to my brother," Adam McBride said. "So being able to do something with a positive spin on it feels very good for our family right now. We're just thrilled to be able to have this opportunity."

What happens next

Adam McBride said the charges are far from closure for the family. He emphasized that Mills remains innocent until proven guilty.

"We are grateful to law enforcement for their work tracking down the suspect," Adam McBride said. "While this is a meaningful step forward, the legal process is just beginning."

Mills is scheduled to appear in court on May 28 for a probable cause conference, followed by a preliminary examination on June 4.

The hit-and-run investigation remains active amid court proceedings. Anyone with information is asked to contact the KDPS Criminal Investigations Division at 269-337-8139 or Kalamazoo Silent Observer at 269-343-2100.

This story was reported by David Mitchell for The Kalamazoo Press. Sources: WWMT News Channel 3.