Amber Alerts Modernized After Tragedy of Six-Year-Old Rowan Morey

The Michigan House has approved a sweeping update to the state’s Amber Alert system, passing legislation designed to better protect children and respond faster in critical moments of danger. Known as the Rowan Act, the bill package aims to modernize how and when alerts are activated, broadening their reach and giving law enforcement more flexibility to act when seconds count.

The Rowan Act, made up of House Bills 4517 and 4518, is named for six-year-old Rowan Milford Morey, whose death in 2024 shocked communities across Michigan. Rowan was killed in an apparent murder-suicide at the hands of his biological father after a custody exchange went tragically wrong in Isabella County. His mother, Brandi Morey-Pols, pleaded with police to check on her son after he wasn’t returned on schedule. But under the state’s narrow criteria, law enforcement was unable to activate an Amber Alert until it was too late. When officers finally checked, Rowan and his father were already gone.

For State Rep. Angela Rigas of Caledonia, who sponsored one of the bills, the tragedy underscored a painful gap in the state’s system. “This legislation is about giving law enforcement the discretion they need when a child is missing and in danger – even if the situation doesn’t meet the state’s definition of abduction,” Rigas said after the House vote. “It recognizes that danger doesn’t always come with flashing lights or dramatic headlines. Sometimes, it’s a delayed return. Sometimes, it’s a special-needs child who’s vulnerable in ways our current system doesn’t account for.”

Her legislation, House Bill 4518, expands the circumstances under which Michigan State Police can issue an Amber Alert. Under current law, alerts are restricted to suspected abductions. The Rowan Act empowers law enforcement to act whenever a child is believed to be in imminent danger, whether or not the case involves a classic abduction scenario. That discretion, Rigas argued, could make the difference between life and death.

Rep. Jerry Neyer of Shepherd, who partnered with Rigas on the effort, said his bill focuses on how alerts are delivered. House Bill 4517 modernizes the state’s distribution system, weaving in social media alongside traditional outlets like radio, television, and highway signs. Neyer emphasized that the goal is to spread alerts quickly and widely, especially in the age of smartphones when information can reach thousands within seconds.

“In Rowan’s case, a timely alert could have saved his life,” Neyer said. “With this reform, we ensure that no other parent has to endure that same devastating silence.”

The pair of lawmakers introduced the legislation after their communities reeled from Rowan’s death last year. Friends and neighbors were left grieving a young boy whose future was stolen, and many expressed outrage that the state’s Amber Alert system wasn’t triggered earlier. The Rowan Act represents their response to that grief and a determination to prevent another tragedy.

Amber Alerts have long been a critical tool in law enforcement’s arsenal, credited with recovering hundreds of children nationwide since the program’s launch in 1996. But advocates and police alike have acknowledged limitations in the system. By strictly tying alerts to suspected abductions, states like Michigan have sometimes excluded cases where a child was in clear danger but didn’t fit the definition. For example, delayed custody returns, cases involving children with special needs, or situations where danger stemmed from a parent or caregiver rather than a stranger, often slipped through the cracks.

The Rowan Act seeks to close those gaps. Supporters say it reflects both lessons learned and the realities of modern life. Children face vulnerabilities that don’t always look like kidnapping, and communication technology has moved far beyond highway billboards. With the new legislation, Michigan aims to lead the way in adapting a program that must be both flexible and fast.

The emotional weight of Rowan’s story has given the bills broad support in the House, where lawmakers from both sides of the aisle backed the reforms. Rigas and Neyer expressed hope the Senate will act quickly to send the Rowan Act to the governor’s desk, ensuring that law enforcement officers are never again forced to wait when they believe a child is in harm’s way.

For Rowan’s family, the passage of the act represents a measure of meaning pulled from loss. While no law can bring back a child whose life was cut short, lawmakers believe the Rowan Act will stand as a safeguard for others, a promise that the silence Brandi Morey-Pols endured will not be repeated for another parent.

As Neyer put it: “This is about saving lives. This is about making sure no one has to wonder if the system will act in time. With these reforms, Michigan is putting children’s safety above all else.”