Candlelight vigil Saturday for murdered Willard man

WILLARD — A candlelight vigil is being planned for Saturday for a 17-year-old Willard teen who was reportedly murdered back in 1998. The candlelight vigil is planned for 6:45 p.m. Saturday at the Roy Doster Plaza in Willard. The vigil is in memory of Danny Violette, a 17-year-old teen whose body was found on Nov. 4, 1998, after he had been missing for 11 days. According to a press release announcing the vigil from Danny Violette's brother Drew, there were ligature marks around Danny's neck and his autopsy reported a cause of death of asphyxiation "not consistent with suicide." After his death, his body had been dragged into a field where he was found, the press release stated. Drew Violette said he was 13-years-old when his brother was murdered. "Now, at 38 years old, I have committed myself to finding answers as the case remains unsolved with the Huron County Sheriff's Office and virtually no information has been shared with my family or the public for the past 25 years," Drew wrote. In an interview on Tuesday, Drew said he hoped the candlelight vigil will bring more clues to the surface. In addition to the candlelight vigil, the case has been featured in the true crime podcast "Culpable" and Drew said he has gotten some tips from that podcast. Huron County Sheriff Chief Deputy Dave Ditz said his department is supportive of the candlelight vigil. "Maybe they can get some information we haven't gotten," Ditz said. "It's still an open investigation and we want information. We really want to see this family get closure on this." Lt. Bill Duncan is the HCSO deputy assigned to the case, Ditz said. Anyone with information about the case should call the sheriff's office at 419-663-2828.