Blood Ties: The Murders of Danielle Marzejka and Seren Bryan

When 18-year-old Danielle Marzejka and 19-year-old Seren Bryan vanished from their Clinton Township home in August 2018, friends expected them to pop back up with a laugh and a message. Instead, their belongings remained untouched—their phones, insulin, and treasured keepsakes left behind. Days later, a horrific discovery in a backyard shed shattered the illusion of safety in suburban Michigan.

As investigators unraveled the case, evidence pointed inward. What looked like a spotless bedroom glowed with blood under luminol. Hidden duct tape carried fingerprints. And the suspect’s trail stretched from Michigan to Ohio—ending in a Cincinnati public library, where he sat disguised in a blonde wig and sunglasses, trying to disappear.

This is a story that forces us to confront the unthinkable: that violence can come not from strangers, but from within the home. It’s about silence, disguise, and the devastating fracture of a family when blood itself becomes the threat.

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References:

The Horrific Discovery at the Back of the Shed [Video]. (n.d.). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JLMygukFmw

ClickOnDetroit. (2020, January 14). Man to be sentenced for murder of sister, her boyfriend in Clinton Township; bodies found in shed. WDIV Local 4. https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/01/14/man-to-be-sentenced-for-murder-of-sister-her-boyfriend-in-clinton-township-bodies-found-in-shed

Fox 2 Detroit. (2019, November 21). Man guilty of murdering sister and her boyfriend with hammer, leaving bodies in trash bags. FOX 2 Detroit. https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/man-guilty-of-murdering-sister-and-her-boyfriend-with-hammer-leaving-bodies-in-trash-bags

Fox 2 Detroit. (2020, January 14). Judge says ‘evil man is going where he deserves’ after murdering sister and her boyfriend. FOX 2 Detroit. https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/judge-says-evil-man-is-going-where-he-deserves-after-murdering-sister-and-her-boyfriend

Macomb Daily. (2019, November 23). Clinton Township man guilty of murdering sister, her boyfriend. The Macomb Daily. https://www.macombdaily.com/2019/11/23/clinton-township-man-guilty-of-murdering-sister-her-boyfriend

Pietrangelo, M. (2019, November 19). Medical examiner: Clinton Township slaying method provided insurance of death. Voice News. https://www.voicenews.com/2019/11/19/medical-examiner-clinton-township-slaying-method-provided-insurance-of-death

Unquestionably Criminal. (2023, April 7). A brother’s betrayal: The gruesome murders of Danielle Marzejka and Seren Bryan. Medium. https://unquestionably