Inmate Convicted in Teen Girl’s Murder Found Dead in Michigan Prison

A man who was serving a life sentence for the murder of a 13-year-old girl has passed away in a Michigan prison. Arthur Ream, aged 75, died on August 15 from cancer at a prison hospital in Jackson, Michigan, according to the state Corrections Department as reported by The Detroit News.

Cindy Zarzycki was last seen on April 20, 1986, and was initially believed to be a runaway after visiting a Dairy Queen in Eastpointe, a suburb located north of Detroit. After the case went cold, Ream was eventually arrested and charged. In 2008, he led investigators to Zarzycki’s remains which were buried in a wooded area in Macomb Township, roughly 30 miles northeast of Detroit.

Ream denied being responsible for Cindy’s death and claimed that she had fallen from an open elevator at his carpet warehouse in Warren while she was with his son on the day she died. However, in a 2008 videotaped interrogation, Ream confessed, “I’m into, was into, teenage girls. OK?” and expressed how her death had haunted him for over two decades.

Despite his earlier admission, Ream later recanted and denied killing Cindy. Subsequently, he was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in her case. Prior to this, Ream had a history of crimes involving juveniles and had been sentenced to prison for criminal sexual conduct and indecent liberties with a child.

During his time in prison for Zarzycki’s murder, Ream reportedly boasted to other inmates about being involved in the killings of four to six other individuals, prompting authorities in 2018 to search for potential additional victims in the same wooded area in Macomb Township. Possible victims included Kimberly King, who vanished in 1979, Kim Larrow missing since 1981, and Kellie Brownlee who disappeared in 1982.

Attorney R. Timothy Kohler, who represented Ream during his 2008 murder trial, described his former client as “not a likable guy” and stated that Ream maintained his innocence regarding the allegations of intentionally murdering Cindy. Kohler expressed disinterest in hearing more about Ream’s potential involvement in other crimes.