An Oakland County Sheriff’s Department dive team searched for evidence at a pond in Orion Township last week in the case of alleged murder Douglas Edwin Ball, Jr.
Ball, 39, of Port Huron, is the suspect in the homicide of his wife Lydia Rose Ball, 30, also of Port Huron, according to a press release from the Port Huron Police Dept.
The Port Huron police tracked ball to the Orion Lakes mobile home on Swallow Court in the Orion Lakes mobile home park off Brown Road. The Oakland County Sheriff’s SWAT team apprehended the man without incident on Aug. 21. On Sept. 7, the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

“We are assisting the Port Huron Police Department with a case they’re working on,” said Lt. Matt Snyder, Sheriff’s Dept. Dive Team Leader.
While the pond is shallow, Snyder said the bottom of the pond had a lot of seaweed and muck, so deputies wanted to use a camera to search the pond bottom for clues before divers began the physical search.
The dive team used an ORV remote underwater camera to search the bottom of the pond for any evidence. “We can remotely put it in there without mucking up the water,” Snyder said.
After the remote exploration, divers suited up to physically search for evidence.
Officer Ryan Mynsberge of the Port Huron Police Department was at the scene and said the Port Huron P.D. is searching for evidence, but did not want to comment on specifics because the case is still under investigation.
Mynsberge said the Port Huron Police have searched for evidence from Port Huron to Orion Township. “We’ve done numerous searches up to this point,” he said. “Nothing really descriptive at this point. We’re just trying to make sure we cover all our bases.”
There are twelve fulltime divers on the Oakland County dive unit, and they are supported by the marine unit when necessary.
The search did not turn up any new evidence in the case, said Lt. Dan Toth, commander of the Orion Township Sheriff’s Dept. substation.
Police discovered Lydia Ball dead inside her home shortly after 4 p.m. on Aug. 20.
“Information was obtained that Ball had fled the scene with his 5-year-old son,” said Port Huron Police Captain Jeff Baker, in a news release. An Amber Alert was then issued for the missing boy.
Police surrounded the mobile home and Oakland County SWAT forced entry into the home about 8:20 a.m. Aug. 21, securing the child and taking Ball into custody, transporting him back to Port Huron. — Jim Newell