The Detroit Free Press usually tells through words, pictures and videos. On Thursday, a Free Press reporter will join journalists and artists from across the region for Story Fest Detroit to tell stories from the stage of the Detroit Opera.
At this one-night-only event, investigative reporter John Wisely will share a story about a person in a role of authority he has looked into for years in what he calls one of the most "unsettling investigations" of his career.
John will tell you about a Michigan State Police trooper who looked the part in public, but privately, was far different man. He had more than 400 pages of internal affairs reports written about him. You'll learn from his own family members what he was really like. You'll also hear about grisly
crimes in the area that raised questions about how the law is enforced in the UP.
The story John will tell Thursday night is an offshoot of "Where Secrets Go to Die," which looks into a cold case killing of a man who moved up to the UP and disappeared.
Story Fest is presented by Back Pocket Media, which curated sold-out storytelling events in Detroit in 2025 and 2026. Get tickets at the Detroit Opera's website.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Don't miss the Free Press at Story Fest 2026 this Thursday, Oct. 8













