MN MN - Melissa Eagleshield, 42, Detroit Lakes, 5 Oct 2014
- Thread starter los2188
- Start date
OkieGranny
Retired WS Staff
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2013
- Messages
- 21,516
- Reaction score
- 1,548
iulia
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2013
- Messages
- 7,653
- Reaction score
- 19,617
- Joined
- May 15, 2013
- Messages
- 55,637
- Reaction score
- 192,215
CastlesBurning
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2009
- Messages
- 6,566
- Reaction score
- 11,152
PommyMommy
#ShinelikeShanann
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2018
- Messages
- 56,823
- Reaction score
- 451,123
Jan 26, 2020
Melissa Eagleshield went missing 5 years ago. Thousands more Indigenous people have vanished since | INFORUM
[...]
Her socks, shoes, purse, left behind at a house in the middle of the woods. It was dark and only a few degrees above freezing when she was last seen at the house.
Investigators think perhaps Eagleshield wandered off in the middle of the night, losing her way in the unforgiving wilderness of Becker County.
Her mom thinks something more foul happened.
No one knows for sure, as Eagleshield has yet to be found. But her mom is certain about one thing: Her daughter isn’t alive. She would have called one of her kids or grandkids, or used the money left in her bank account by now, Anderson said. At this point, Anderson is just hoping for “closure.”
[...]
[...]
Melissa Eagleshield was last seen near Island Lake in Becker County, Minnesota — outside the boundaries of the White Earth Reservation.
[...]
The call came in at 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 5, 2014, at least 14 hours after Eagleshield was last seen, police records show. Officers quickly determined Eagleshield had last been seen at a house on Jager Road, south of County Road 126 near Island Lake. Dan Jager, who lived at the house, told police he last saw her at 5 a.m. Assuming she found a ride or went to meet somebody, he didn’t report her missing right away.
Around 10 p.m. that night, searchers descended on the area. Becker County Sheriff’s Office and Detroit Lakes Fire Department showed up; Hubbard County brought a search dog and two snowmobiles; Sanford AirMed sent a helicopter. The Frazee and Wolf Lake fire departments also joined the effort. The next day, even more help arrived, from the White Earth Police Department and state patrol.
[...]
Every fall, spring and summer, the search continues. Though it’s been more than five years since she went missing, Glander still remembers the cool weather on the first night of the search, and he wonders whether she was dressed for the elements, having seen many cases of hypothermia.
[...]
Anderson said Eagleshield started drinking alcohol as a teenager and eventually became addicted. She had her first daughter when she was 15. As an adult, Eagleshield was frequently homeless and “part of a bad crowd,” her mom said.
[...]
Because the case is still open, Glander said there aren’t any conclusions yet on what happened to her. “We’re not ruling anything out right now,” he said, but “at this point, we have nothing to indicate that foul play was involved.”
[...]
“It was dark. It was cold,” she said. “You don’t walk away barefoot. I think something happened.”
[...]
Melissa Eagleshield went missing 5 years ago. Thousands more Indigenous people have vanished since | INFORUM
[...]
Her socks, shoes, purse, left behind at a house in the middle of the woods. It was dark and only a few degrees above freezing when she was last seen at the house.
Investigators think perhaps Eagleshield wandered off in the middle of the night, losing her way in the unforgiving wilderness of Becker County.
Her mom thinks something more foul happened.
No one knows for sure, as Eagleshield has yet to be found. But her mom is certain about one thing: Her daughter isn’t alive. She would have called one of her kids or grandkids, or used the money left in her bank account by now, Anderson said. At this point, Anderson is just hoping for “closure.”
[...]
[...]
Melissa Eagleshield was last seen near Island Lake in Becker County, Minnesota — outside the boundaries of the White Earth Reservation.
[...]
The call came in at 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 5, 2014, at least 14 hours after Eagleshield was last seen, police records show. Officers quickly determined Eagleshield had last been seen at a house on Jager Road, south of County Road 126 near Island Lake. Dan Jager, who lived at the house, told police he last saw her at 5 a.m. Assuming she found a ride or went to meet somebody, he didn’t report her missing right away.
Around 10 p.m. that night, searchers descended on the area. Becker County Sheriff’s Office and Detroit Lakes Fire Department showed up; Hubbard County brought a search dog and two snowmobiles; Sanford AirMed sent a helicopter. The Frazee and Wolf Lake fire departments also joined the effort. The next day, even more help arrived, from the White Earth Police Department and state patrol.
[...]
Every fall, spring and summer, the search continues. Though it’s been more than five years since she went missing, Glander still remembers the cool weather on the first night of the search, and he wonders whether she was dressed for the elements, having seen many cases of hypothermia.
[...]
Anderson said Eagleshield started drinking alcohol as a teenager and eventually became addicted. She had her first daughter when she was 15. As an adult, Eagleshield was frequently homeless and “part of a bad crowd,” her mom said.
[...]
Because the case is still open, Glander said there aren’t any conclusions yet on what happened to her. “We’re not ruling anything out right now,” he said, but “at this point, we have nothing to indicate that foul play was involved.”
[...]
“It was dark. It was cold,” she said. “You don’t walk away barefoot. I think something happened.”
[...]
PommyMommy
#ShinelikeShanann
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2018
- Messages
- 56,823
- Reaction score
- 451,123
Missing Since 10/05/2014
Missing From Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race Native American
Date of Birth 02/08/1972 (47)
Age 42 years old
Height and Weight 5'1, 155 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A black shirt and sweatpants with a South Park logo.
Medical Conditions Eagleshield is an alcoholic.
Distinguishing Characteristics Native American female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Eagleshield's nickname is Mitz and her maiden name is Anderson. She has previously broken her right arm, her right wrist and both ankles. She has a cigarette burn scar on her right shin, a Cesarean section scar on her abdomen, a small scar on the middle of her forehead and on a scar on her left eyebrow, and at the time of her disappearance she had a wound on her head that had been closed with surgical staples. Eagleshield has the following tattoos: a unicorn with the letters "DS" on her right shoulder blade, a smoking gun on her left forearm and an unspecified tattoo on her left leg. She has moles on her left buttock, the left side of her collarbone, the right side of her neck, and the left side of her abdomen, and a strawberry birthmark on the back of her neck near the headline.
Details of Disappearance
Eagleshield was last seen at a friend's residence along Country Road 126 near Island Lake in rural Detroit Lakes, Minnesota in the early morning hours of October 5, 2014.
Her friend thought she left sometime between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. She left all of her belongings behind, including her shoes and her purse, and has never been heard from again. She didn't own a cellular phone at the time of her disappearance and there hasn't been any activity on her credit cards.
Eagleshield apparently left the house on foot. Search dogs tracked her scent through the swampy brush around the house before losing the trail at a beaver dam about a mile away. She has been known to accept rides from passing motorists and it's possible someone picked her up. Her case remains unsolved.
@PommyMommy I just want to say how thankful I am for you as a person (I wish I knew you in real life, but regardless I can tell you have such a caring soul), and your involvement in so many different threads. It doesn’t go unnoticed. Just thank you-Thank you!
I’m praying for Melissa, and some answers in the very near future.
I’m praying for Melissa, and some answers in the very near future.
PommyMommy
#ShinelikeShanann
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2018
- Messages
- 56,823
- Reaction score
- 451,123
Aw! That is so sweet of you! And, you're very welcome.
I only just learned of Melissa's case today when I stumbled across the article above but I would really love to see her family get some answers too! MOO
@PommyMommy I’ve been meaning to tell you that for awhile now, (this is my third account-long story, so I’ve been here longer than whatever it says) but figured I could say it on this thread without going off topic on other threads and having others be mad, if that makes sense. I actually haven’t checked Melissa’s thread since my 2018 post that you “liked”, sadly, but checked after I saw a notification, so thank you! I’m hoping there’s a break in Melissa’s disappearance soon. Check out Donna Cloud’s if you get a minute. It’s always bothered me, and I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks again for all you do!
PommyMommy
#ShinelikeShanann
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2018
- Messages
- 56,823
- Reaction score
- 451,123
FEB 6, 2020
Melissa Eagleshield went missing 5 years ago: Thousands more Indigenous people have vanished since | The Circle News
It’s been five years since LA last saw her daughter. And she hasn’t stopped looking since. Her daughter Melissa Eagleshield, then 42, vanished in the middle of an autumn night. Her socks, shoes, purse, left behind at a house in the middle of the woods. It was dark and only a few degrees above freezing when she was last seen at the house.
Investigators think perhaps Eagleshield wandered off in the middle of the night, losing her way in the unforgiving wilderness of Becker County in Minnesota. Her mom thinks something more foul happened.
No one knows for sure, as Eagleshield has yet to be found. But her mom is certain about one thing: Her daughter isn’t alive. She would have called one of her kids or grandkids, or used the money left in her bank account by now, LA said. At this point, LA is just hoping for “closure.”
[...]
Melissa Eagleshield went missing 5 years ago: Thousands more Indigenous people have vanished since | The Circle News
It’s been five years since LA last saw her daughter. And she hasn’t stopped looking since. Her daughter Melissa Eagleshield, then 42, vanished in the middle of an autumn night. Her socks, shoes, purse, left behind at a house in the middle of the woods. It was dark and only a few degrees above freezing when she was last seen at the house.
Investigators think perhaps Eagleshield wandered off in the middle of the night, losing her way in the unforgiving wilderness of Becker County in Minnesota. Her mom thinks something more foul happened.
No one knows for sure, as Eagleshield has yet to be found. But her mom is certain about one thing: Her daughter isn’t alive. She would have called one of her kids or grandkids, or used the money left in her bank account by now, LA said. At this point, LA is just hoping for “closure.”
[...]
mcrow
Member
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2021
- Messages
- 18
- Reaction score
- 66
OK, been doing some digging around on this. I have some police reports to add here:
Eagleshield - Google Drive
Factual information from police reports:
#1- Melissa was partying with some locals that evening described to me as "bikers".
#2- She ended up at Dave Jager's place (see other stories for that name).
#3- She disappears sometime overnight, possibly 3-5am.
#4- She is reported missing sometime before 10 am.
#5- Two Detroit Lakes Officers arrive at the scene at 10 am.
#6- Due to the weather being cold, by 1 pm several fire and rescue teams were dispatched as well as a posse on foot.
#7- They searched with a K-9 unit and lost her scent about a mile from Mr. Jager's home near a beaver dam. The area where she went missing has several square miles of woods and went lands including a lake, multiple swamps, and a river. All areas were searched.
#8- She was reportedly seen at the intersection of highways 34/37 about two miles south of Mr. Jager's residence but it's unclear about the time frame this happened. It's possible she could have walked 2 miles through the woods there, but nothing concrete.
10/07/14--Officers check with Northside Bar in Detroit Lakes. Mitzi frequented this establishment. She was last seen there 10/02/14.
10/25/14-- Hunters report enough buzzards flying overhead to raise concern. Beck County Sherrif's office searched the area but found nothing. This was near hwy 39 & 113 north of Detroit Lakes.
06/14/15-- Becker county sheriff performs a "cadaver search" around Lake Twenty-Five which is right next to Mr. Jager's residence. No notes on what prompted the searching of the area. May have just been looking after the winter thaw.
02/25/16-- Police speak to an inmate at the Becker County Jail in regard to Mitizi's disappearance. No info was provided to me on what was said.
03/25/2016-- Police speak to Shooting Star Casino security. No details on what information they have. Could be a video, no information was given to me on this.
10/25/2021-- Becker county sheriff receives information from an individual that he believes a brother and sister he knows killed Mitzi and disposed of her body in a small lake near to the lake named Elbow Lake (not to be confused with Elbow Lake the town). No arrests that I'm aware of related to this information, so may not have proven to be factual or compelling enough to arrest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNVERIFIED INFO BELOW SO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE FACTS:
I've also been in contact with several people who say they have information. Most of which I cannot confirm but include the following:
---One rumor is that she was assaulted that night, which may have been what caused her to leave the home without shoes, a coat, and other belongings. The assault involved a group of people on a pool table and she was stabbed to death.(this admittedly seems unlikely given they tracked her scent a mile from the location this supposedly happened unless she was taken out there to before she died supposing this happened at all)
---There was another rumor that started out similar to the first but instead someone was paid to kill her afterward and disposed of her body in the landfill.
---A third rumor involves parts of the first two but it was all related to drug dealers somehow. Considering the way it sounds some of the folks she was around a lot and her own issues, it's a possibility.
Again, these are all rumors that I have no proof of. Just what people are telling me. I'm purposely leaving names and documentation out just for that reason.
In any case, that's what I have so far. I'm going to make some maps to add to the google drive folder too to give people an idea of where events took place.
Eagleshield - Google Drive
Factual information from police reports:
#1- Melissa was partying with some locals that evening described to me as "bikers".
#2- She ended up at Dave Jager's place (see other stories for that name).
#3- She disappears sometime overnight, possibly 3-5am.
#4- She is reported missing sometime before 10 am.
#5- Two Detroit Lakes Officers arrive at the scene at 10 am.
#6- Due to the weather being cold, by 1 pm several fire and rescue teams were dispatched as well as a posse on foot.
#7- They searched with a K-9 unit and lost her scent about a mile from Mr. Jager's home near a beaver dam. The area where she went missing has several square miles of woods and went lands including a lake, multiple swamps, and a river. All areas were searched.
#8- She was reportedly seen at the intersection of highways 34/37 about two miles south of Mr. Jager's residence but it's unclear about the time frame this happened. It's possible she could have walked 2 miles through the woods there, but nothing concrete.
10/07/14--Officers check with Northside Bar in Detroit Lakes. Mitzi frequented this establishment. She was last seen there 10/02/14.
10/25/14-- Hunters report enough buzzards flying overhead to raise concern. Beck County Sherrif's office searched the area but found nothing. This was near hwy 39 & 113 north of Detroit Lakes.
06/14/15-- Becker county sheriff performs a "cadaver search" around Lake Twenty-Five which is right next to Mr. Jager's residence. No notes on what prompted the searching of the area. May have just been looking after the winter thaw.
02/25/16-- Police speak to an inmate at the Becker County Jail in regard to Mitizi's disappearance. No info was provided to me on what was said.
03/25/2016-- Police speak to Shooting Star Casino security. No details on what information they have. Could be a video, no information was given to me on this.
10/25/2021-- Becker county sheriff receives information from an individual that he believes a brother and sister he knows killed Mitzi and disposed of her body in a small lake near to the lake named Elbow Lake (not to be confused with Elbow Lake the town). No arrests that I'm aware of related to this information, so may not have proven to be factual or compelling enough to arrest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNVERIFIED INFO BELOW SO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE FACTS:
I've also been in contact with several people who say they have information. Most of which I cannot confirm but include the following:
---One rumor is that she was assaulted that night, which may have been what caused her to leave the home without shoes, a coat, and other belongings. The assault involved a group of people on a pool table and she was stabbed to death.(this admittedly seems unlikely given they tracked her scent a mile from the location this supposedly happened unless she was taken out there to before she died supposing this happened at all)
---There was another rumor that started out similar to the first but instead someone was paid to kill her afterward and disposed of her body in the landfill.
---A third rumor involves parts of the first two but it was all related to drug dealers somehow. Considering the way it sounds some of the folks she was around a lot and her own issues, it's a possibility.
Again, these are all rumors that I have no proof of. Just what people are telling me. I'm purposely leaving names and documentation out just for that reason.
In any case, that's what I have so far. I'm going to make some maps to add to the google drive folder too to give people an idea of where events took place.
Last edited:
PommyMommy
#ShinelikeShanann
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2018
- Messages
- 56,823
- Reaction score
- 451,123
OCT 4, 2022
www.valleynewslive.com
On June 17, 1975, 71-year-old Milda McQuillan left her residence on Round Lake in northern Becker County and was on her way to visit friends on the west side of Bad Medicine Lake.
Authorities say her vehicle was found in a heavily wooded area west of Bad Medicine, but McQuillan has been missing ever since that day.
OCT 5, 2022
On the eighth anniversary of her disappearance, the Becker County Sheriff’s Office continues to ask Lakes Area residence for information on the whereabouts of Melissa Eagleshield.
Becker County still searching for missing individuals
If you have any information about Eagleshield and McQuillan, contact the Becker County Sheriff’s Office at 218-847-2661, or your local law enforcement agency immediately.
Authorities say her vehicle was found in a heavily wooded area west of Bad Medicine, but McQuillan has been missing ever since that day.
OCT 5, 2022
On the eighth anniversary of her disappearance, the Becker County Sheriff’s Office continues to ask Lakes Area residence for information on the whereabouts of Melissa Eagleshield.
Pennysmom1
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2018
- Messages
- 3,893
- Reaction score
- 3,371
May 16, 2018
hpr1.com
Oct 9, 2019- archived article Billings Gazette
‘Grandma is lost in the woods and nobody can find her’
Moorhead murder trial prompts questions about a missing Indigenous woman
Oct 9, 2019- archived article Billings Gazette