How a tracking device on a stolen laptop helped trap suspected killers of aspiring medical student

Find My Mac service helped police track down men accused of shooting Paul DeWolf
University of Michigan student was found dead from a single gunshot wound in July
Computer believed to have been stolen from neighbor's home around the time DeWolf was killed, police say
Shaquille Jones and Joei Jordan face murder and home invasion charges

PUBLISHED: 02:08 EST, 29 November 2013 | UPDATED: 02:09 EST, 29 November 2013

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The tracking device on a stolen laptop has helped catch two men suspected of the murder of a Michigan medical student.

Police had few clues to work on when Paul DeWolf was found dead in his university fraternity house in July, killed by a single bullet wound.

But on October 3 a MacBook stolen from Mr DeWolf's neighbor was switched on in Detroit, leading police to the possible killers.

Paul DeWolf (left and right) was found dead in his apartment Wednesday. A police investigation began around noon, and university police released a crime alert just before 11 p.m

Victim: Paul DeWolf was found dead in his bedroom in a fraternity house in Ann Arbor, Michigan on July 24

The unidentified man, who is not a suspect in the case, had bought the laptop off Craigslist, and he was able to provide details of the seller to police, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Shaquille Jones, 21, and Joei Jordan, 20, have been charged with the murder of Mr DeWolf, who had been living in an Ann Arbor fraternity house set up to make life easier for students on the grueling medical program.

Tracking murder suspects

July 24 Medical student Paul DeWolf is found shot dead in his university apartment. Neighbors report a break in around the same time.

July 25 Police say one of the suspect's, Jones, sold the stolen laptop to a third man for $200

October 3 Apple receive alert from Find My Mac app that stolen device has been turned on.

November 7 Police announce three arrests in the murder investigation.

Police Detective Katie Nucci told a hearing earlier this month how the Find My Mac tracking device on the laptop helped find the suspects.

The computer had been stolen from the living room of a neighboring property around the same time that police believe Mr DeWolf was killed, according to Detective Nucci's testimony.

A roommate of the laptop owner was home alone at the time and recalled hearing someone downstairs but thought it was a fellow student. As well as the laptop, a wallet and purse was taken.

When the laptop was turned on on October 3, Apple received an alert and contacted the police.

The Find My Mac program allows laptop owners to track, lock and even send messages to the screens of their computers.

The computer was traced to an address in Detroit, where its surprised new owner found himself being questioned.

Trace: A tracking app on a stolen laptop, similar to the one pictured, helped police trace the suspected killers

'I knew it was something more than a stolen laptop since Ann Arbor police came all the way here,' he told Detroit Free Press.

The 30-year-old said he wasn't worried when he was being questioned because he knew he hadn't done anything wrong.

Police discovered that the man who sold the laptop on Craigslist had bought it from Jordan for $200 on July 25 - the day after Mr DeWolf was murdered.

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A check of phone records found Jordan's cell phone had used a tower near the home where the laptop was stolen from.

Jordan and Jones, who sometimes lived together, have been arraigned on murder and home invasion charges. They are being held without bond.

Police have declined to discuss what role the laptop played in their investigation or how a third unidentified man is linked to the murder.

Involved: Joei Jordan, 20, was also arrested but charged with the lesser crime of receiving and concealing stolen property

Arrested: Shaquille Jones, left, and Joei Jordan, right, face charges in the murder of Paul DeWolf

The arrests come as the first break in the case in months after Mr DeWolf was discovered dead from a gunshot wound in his own bedroom on July 24.

His room was neat and tidy and no valuables had been removed when his body was found at around 11pm.

Following the murder investigation, the University of Michigan increased campus patrols and warned students that a killer may be on the loose.

Joshua DeWolf said his brother had been excited about beginning a military career after graduation in May 2014.

'His life came to an end in his prime,' he told Ann Arbor News.

Mr DeWolf was an enlisted second lieutenant in the United States Air Force and was studying at university to complete his surgical training.

He was in his fourth year of studying and graduated from Grand Valley State University in Allendale three years before.

Crime scene: Police tape is put around the student home of Paul DeWolf after his body was discovered on July 24

Another of his close friends, Jason Halterman said that Mr DeWolf had an infectious love of life.

'He loved everyone regardless,' Mr Halterman told ABC News. 'He taught me to be a better, more caring person and I love him for it.'

Mr DeWolf was a frequent poster to Facebook about his passion for scuba diving and running marathons.

He was the captain of the cross country team at Schoolcraft High School and graduated as class valedictorian in 2006.

He took his bachelors degree in bio-medical sciences from Grand Valley State University in 2010 and then joined the Air Force - where he was in the top 10 per cent certified in officer training.

He belonged to Sigma Phi Epsilon at Grand Valley State University and Phi Rho Sigma Fraternity at the University of Michigan.

Police say DeWolf failed to arrive for a scheduled assignment at the Veteran's Affairs Hospital. The hospital sent a colleague to the home to check on him, and that person discovered DeWolf had died - He was an enthusiastic marathon runner too

Dedicated: Paul DeWolf was a top student who enjoyed running marathons

The student was a brilliant piano and French horn player, a certified scuba diver, traveled the world on several mission trips, and had competed in marathons. He was a devout Christian.

A statement from the university said that Mr DeWolf was the 'epitome of everything great in the field of medicine.'

'We extend our deepest condolences to Paul's family, friends and colleagues,' UM president Coleman added to the statement.

'He was working and training among a close, nurturing community of healers and I know they will help each other through this difficult time. They will need the support of the broader campus community in the weeks and months ahead, and we will provide it.'

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shenley55, saunderstown, United States, 40 minutes ago

A young man of DeWolf's stature should not have his end come at the hands of these two thugs. God bless him, his family and friends. Thugs? You will get your dessert. Enjoy your laptop.