“From our investigation it appears that there was a link between all of these cases.”

One family investigators now believe is the link to several drug-related crimes and deaths.

We have been covering Traverse Narcotics Team cases in Grand Traverse County involving the Medina family for months now.

And we are now learning that they could be linked to a much bigger problem.

There are a lot of pieces, and people involved in investigations surrounding Melissa, Xena and Jeremiah Medina and police records go all the way back to 2016.

Combined, they face 15 charges, some that could mean up to life in prison.

“We have various charges on Melissa Medina including most seriously conspiracy to deliver over 1,000 grams of a controlled substance,” Grand Traverse County prosecutor Bob Cooney said.

That is the total amount of heroin supplied by Melissa Medina based on witness statements from 2016 to April of this year.

Melissa and her daughter Xena were arrested at a motel in Traverse City last month, where TNT detectives found suspected fentanyl and a large amount of money, among other evidence.

Melissa’s son was also arrested last year.

“Jeremiah Medina is charged with possession of controlled substance as well as some felony firearm charges,” Cooney said.

Jeremiah was arrested back in February after he was found at a hotel with drugs and a handgun, where a woman was found dead of a suspected overdose.

Jeremiah was using a credit card that belonged to the woman who died.

Investigations are now linking the family to another death.

Court documents show Rory O’Brien, who is charged in the death of Alexander Grizzle last year, had been purchasing heroin from Melissa Medina every day since 2017.

“Every individual who is arrested with large quantities of heroin or other drugs of course, it’s a step in the right direction to fewer people using in our community, which hopefully means fewer individuals overdosing which eventually will mean fewer individuals dying,” director of communication for Addiction Treatment Services, Kate Kerr said.

All of these cases have been bound over to circuit court including O’Brien’s, who will be in court Tuesday morning.