A final salute echoed through a Michigan funeral home today for Nicholas John Acker, the Air Force veteran found dead inside a mail-handling machine at a U.S. Postal Service distribution center. The 36-year-old had been building a new life with his fiancée when a routine shift turned into a tragedy.
Acker disappeared during his overnight shift Nov. 8 and was later found inside a mail-handling machine at the Detroit Network Distribution Center, a major USPS processing hub in Allen Park, Michigan. Investigators are examining how a worker could remain inside equipment for so long without anyone noticing—a gap that has become the focus of growing frustration over oversight and safety at the federal facility.
His obituary from Voran Funeral Home, also in Allen Park, said he was someone whose kindness touched everyone who knew him. He proposed to his fiancée during a trip to Chicago two weeks earlier and he had recently bought a home.
A Nine-Hour Gap
Acker’s fiancée reported him missing after he failed to return home from his overnight shift. She called hospitals and police departments before driving to the facility, where she struggled to get information from security staff.
“He was just basically missing at first,” his father, Gary Acker, told Military.com. “His fiancée was looking for him. She went to the front gate and nobody was helping her.”
Hours passed before anyone inside the Detroit Network Distribution Center realized the veteran had not clocked out.
“His shift was over at 7:30 in the morning and it took to 1 o’clock to even know that he was there,” his father said.
A Life of Service and Hard Work
Acker enlisted in the Air Force at 26 and became an F-16 mechanic who deployed to Turkey, Kuwait, South Korea and several stateside bases.
“I was very proud of the young man,” his father said. “He was my baby. He was serving his country.”
After leaving the service, Acker joined the Postal Service facility and developed a reputation for taking on difficult tasks without complaint.
“They say he is the best worker there,” his father said. “Maybe if other people would do their job they would not have even had him working there.”
Officials Respond as Questions Grow
Acker’s father said the family heard almost nothing directly from the Postal Service in the days after his death, a silence that added to their shock and grief.
“Nobody has really called me from the post office,” he told Military.com. “I think they should have called me immediately. They should have grieved with me a little bit.”
USPS released a written statement to Military.com addressing the incident.
“The Postal Service is deeply saddened by the loss of life suffered recently involving our postal employee. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time,” spokesperson Xavier Hernandez said in an emailed statement. “This incident remains under investigation by OSHA and the Postal Service is fully cooperating.”
MIOSHA and Allen Park Police did not return requests for comment.
What Investigators Will Review
State safety inspectors follow MIOSHA and OSHA protocols when reviewing industrial fatalities. Their process typically includes examining whether the machine should have been running, whether lockout and tagout procedures were followed, and whether monitoring was adequate. Investigators also review staffing levels, training records, maintenance logs and any alarms or sensors on the equipment, and also interview workers to establish the timeline.
A Father’s Lasting Memory
Acker’s father said one image will stay with him forever.
“One picture of him on his motorcycle made me really happy,” he said. “I am going to do something on my motorcycle and put him on it. He can ride with me.”
He said the turnout at the funeral showed how many people his son touched.
“There is a lot more people coming in and out than I ever thought,” he said. “Everywhere I go somebody knew him or knows somebody that knows him.”
A GoFundMe campaign created to support Acker’s fiancée calls the loss "heartbreaking" and says he was the light of her life.
