April 🌸

Who April Was

April Millsap was born on January 2, 2000. She spent her early childhood in Wise County, Virginia, before moving with her mother to Armada, Michigan, where she grew up and attended school. She was fourteen years old.

April was remembered by those who knew her as kind, creative, and warm. She loved reading and writing—especially poetry and short stories—and had a deep affection for animals. She adored her border collie, Penny, whom she walked faithfully each evening. Being outdoors brought her comfort, and she often spent time on the Macomb Orchard Trail near her home.

She had recently completed middle school and was preparing to begin high school that fall. Her mother later shared that April was excited about starting high school and looking ahead to what came next.

An Ordinary Evening

On the evening of July 24, 2014, April left her home in Armada, Michigan, to walk Penny along the Macomb Orchard Trail. It was a familiar routine during the summer months.

She left at approximately 5:30 PM, setting out on what appeared to be a normal summer evening.

The Interruption

While April was walking, a man later identified as James VanCallis, then thirty-two years old, was observed riding a blue-and-white motorcycle in the area. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the Macomb Orchard Trail, making the presence of a motorcycle unusual.

Witnesses later recalled seeing the motorcyclist near April and noted that she appeared tense and uncomfortable.

At 6:28 PM, April sent her final text message to her boyfriend, warning that she had “almost been kidnapped.” This was the last communication she sent.

Prosecutors later stated that shortly after this message, April was attacked from behind near the trail and dragged into a wooded area nearby. What began as an ordinary evening walk ended abruptly.

April did not return home.

⸻

When April Did Not Come Back

As the evening passed and April failed to return, concern set in quickly. Her mother, Jennifer Millsap, attempted to reach her by phone and began contacting those who might have seen her.

Later that night, two joggers on the Macomb Orchard Trail noticed Penny behaving unusually. The dog lingered near a spot just off the path, whimpering and refusing to leave the area. Following Penny’s movements, the joggers discovered April a short distance from the trail and alerted authorities.

April’s death was ruled a homicide.

⸻

The Investigation

Investigators worked to reconstruct April’s final movements using witness statements, physical evidence from the trail, and data recovered from her phone.

April had been using a fitness-tracking application during her walk. The data showed movement consistent with walking before recording a sudden burst of speed that was inconsistent with her normal pace. Investigators testified that this information helped them narrow the timeframe of the attack and corroborate witness accounts placing a motorcyclist on the trail shortly beforehand.

Multiple witnesses reported seeing a man on a blue-and-white motorcycle in the area that evening. Surveillance footage from nearby locations later showed a man matching the description riding a motorcycle in and around Armada on the day of April’s disappearance.

The investigation ultimately focused on James VanCallis, who lived in the area.

⸻

Testimony That Helped Secure a Conviction

During the trial, prosecutors presented testimony from VanCallis’s former girlfriend, Crystal Stadler, who described his behavior in the period surrounding April’s death as alarming and unusual.

She testified that VanCallis appeared agitated and volatile and told her that he had “messed up,” asking her to stay with him. She also testified that he cleaned his shoes that night—behavior she described as out of character.

Her testimony became significant when investigators compared the footwear she described to impressions documented during the investigation. Prosecutors argued that this evidence, alongside witness testimony, surveillance footage, and phone data, helped corroborate the timeline presented to the jury.

Stadler also described a pattern of abusive and controlling behavior, which prosecutors used to provide additional context during the trial. Her cooperation and testimony formed part of the broader body of evidence examined in court.

⸻

Trial and Outcome

In 2016, James VanCallis was tried in Macomb County. Prosecutors presented witness testimony, surveillance footage, fitness-tracking data, and testimony from individuals close to him.

The jury found VanCallis guilty of first-degree murder and related charges. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His conviction was later upheld on appeal.

⸻

Remembering April 🌸

April Millsap was more than the circumstances of her death. She was a young girl who loved animals, creativity, and quiet routines. She was standing at the beginning of her teenage years, preparing to enter high school and imagine the future ahead of her.

In 2018, April was formally honored as a member of the graduating Class of 2018. On what would have been her graduation day, her mother accepted an honorary diploma in her name. An empty chair, adorned in pink and white—April’s favorite colors—stood in her place.

April is remembered not for how her life ended, but for who she was.

Author’s Note

This piece centers April’s life. Details of violence have been intentionally limited.

Extra: Below will be phots of April’s memorial garden 🪴🌸 respectful thoughts only, please 🌸

Rest in peace & flowers, 💐 April 🌸

💖L.W.