Victims of Houghton County house fire identified

Public Radio 90, WNMU | By Nicole Walton

Published January 13, 2022 at 11:00 AM EST

PORTAGE TOWNSHIP, MI— Officials have released the names of two people killed in a house fire in Portage Township.

Investigators with the Michigan State Police believe the remains found following the January 7^th fire belong to husband and wife John Makela, 32, and Breanna Makela, 27.

Autopsies have been performed but the results are still pending.

The Houghton County coroner is attempting to use dental records and DNA to positively identify the remains.

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Nicole Walton

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.

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