09/10/2026
COLD CASE #4 SPOTLIGHT: BERNITA WHITE, LANSING, MI
Name: Bernita White (41)
City: Lansing, Michigan
Where: Potter Park Zoo (1315 S. Pennsylvania Ave.)
Date: June 23, 2001
Case: Homicide
Case Number: 1951913938 / LLA010623010888 / A110888
On June 23, 2001, White, 41, was walking toward the zoo entrance with her 5-year-old daughter when she was struck by a single r***e bullet. Investigators determined the shot was fired from a distance, and despite extensive searches and years of investigation, the bullet that killed her was never recovered.
The broad-daylight killing shocked the Lansing community. Hundreds of people were in and around the zoo that afternoon, yet no one has ever been charged in connection with White’s death.
At the time of her death, White was a computer engineer, mother of two, and had reportedly filed for divorce from her husband, Artis White, approximately one month earlier. Artis White, then a Michigan State Police sergeant, was publicly identified by investigators as a person of interest during the investigation but has never been charged with a crime and has consistently denied any involvement.
Lansing Police Department - (517) 483-4600
Crime Stoppers Tip Line - (517) 483-STOP (7867)
www.crimestoppersofmidmichigan.com
All tips are anonymous and could receive a reward up to $1,000
