SD SD - Ella Beth Lodermeier, 25, Sioux Falls, 6 March 1974

[JusticeWillBeServed]

NamUs

Charley Project

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
• Missing Since: March 6, 1974 from Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• Classification: Endangered Missing
• Date of Birth: November 26, 1948
• Age: 25 years old
• Height and Weight: 5'1, 105 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, green eyes. Lodermeier goes by her middle name, Beth.
• Clothing/Jewelry Description: A blue sweatshirt and blue jeans.

Details of Disappearance
Lodermeier was last seen at her home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on March 6, 1974. She was estranged from her husband at the time, and it was her co-workers who told him they couldn't find her. Her husband went to her residence and found a loaf of bread rising in the kitchen, flour spilled on the floor, and a fresh pizza with one piece missing. Her car was parked in the driveway and nothing was missing from the house except Lodermeier's coat and purse. She has never been heard from again. In 1992, eighteen years after Lodermeier's disappearance, her purse, wallet and checkbook were found on the banks of the Big Sioux east of Sioux Falls. Few details are available in her case, but foul play is suspected.


Sioux Falls Police Continue 42-Year-Old Cold Case Investigation

According to police, Gene Lodermeier passed away in 2013.

When investigators searched her home, Mertes said there was signs of a struggle, but Lodermeier was never found. Her purse and coat were missing from the home.

Cold case: Woman vanished 42 years ago

Time is running out for Sioux Falls detectives looking to solve the mystery of Lordermeier disappearance and likely death.

Now, police are asking anyone who might have information about Lordermeier's disappearance to come forward.

“The main goal in this is to give the family closure,” Detective Pat Mertes said.

 

[alb1on]

This seems to be a clear case of murder by husband. Gene Lodermeier seems to have been well known as a local criminal. Much of interest about his criminal career can be found at;
http://sd.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19920226_0002.SD.htm/qx and
http://openjurist.org/9/f3d/114/lodermeier-v-city-of-sioux-falls
The former is a case report of his conviction and appeal for theft charges and others in 87/88. The latter is a report on his attempt to file against the various parties involved in his case for conspiracy. He was sentenced to 45 years and his conspiracy case was dismissed as fantasy. The reports include (inter alia);
* reference to his past criminal record
* reference to the belief he killed his wife (he cited it as a factor in judicial prejudice)
* reference to his attempts to 'fix' his original trial by intimidating witnesses
* reference to him being a prime suspect for the pipe bombing of a Sioux Falls police officer.
Husband Lodermeier was clearly not a person to be crossed and it is blindingly obvious that LE believed he killed Ella Beth but could not prove it.
An interesting side question is whether there are other members of the Lodermeier clan who may have information about (or even be implicated in) the wifes disappearance. In the late 80s case Lodermeiers aged mother was convicted for making a false report (when she would have been in her late 60s). A family that would work together on a case in the 80s may also have worked together to get rid of an unwanted member in the 70s.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Here's a podcast interview with the lead investigator done last month. He said about 18 tips have come in after the story on her disappearance was publicized.

http://kfgo.com/podcasts/dan-hammer/1777/ellabeth-lodermeier-update-on-42-year-old-case/

 

[STANDREID]

She's very attractive so I can see it being a case where a guy couldn't handle someone else getting the goodies while he no longer could. That could even be a former bf who found out she was going back with her husband. It could also be a stalker of some sort who had no direct connection to her which would make the case very difficult to solve.

 

[madamx]

It's 45 years now! Bumping for Ella!

 

[iulia]

What do investigators need to solve Ellabeth Lodermeier's cold case?

"Since December, I've received, I believe, eight tips so far, and all of those have been new information," Mertes said. "Specifically, four of them have been information about things that are known to us that are definitely of interest."
[...]
That's what Mertes counts on in this case. He counts on talking to people because computers weren't around when she disappeared.

 

[Cagle]

Into thin air: What happened to Ellabeth Lodermeier?

LONG article with lots of info.

 

[Gardener1850]

Current NAMUS Link: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/8614?nav

 

[JerseyGirl]

On Tuesday, Sioux Falls Police confirmed that at least one dog is being brought in on Wednesday to search an area near the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum along the Big Sioux River.

The search will begin at 10 a.m. and will take place in the area where Lodermeier's purse and pocketbook were found in 1992, nearly two decades after she went missing.

Family and at least some members of law enforcement believed that Lodermeier's estranged husband, Gene Lodermeier, was responsible for her disappearance, but Gene died in 2013 of an aortic aneurysm without ever being charged.

Search to be conducted for Sioux Falls woman missing since 1974

 

[JerseyGirl]

Sioux Falls police search for Ellabeth Lodermeier, missing since 1974

 

[iulia]

Search for missing woman turns up ‘areas of interest’

Police spokesman Sam Clemens says the search turned up “a couple of areas of interest” that police will investigate. He did not elaborate.

 

[Fede]

Here is another article on her search: Search for remains of woman missing since 1974 turns up 'areas of interest'

 

[ekardh]

The finger of suspicion points squarely at the abusive estranged husband who Ellabeth was about to divorce.

I think it's suss that he went to her house the next day. It sounds like it was an acrimonious split between the pair but he was rushing to her house to be the caring ex? If you see him through the prism of guilt, it was a great excuse to revisit the crime-scene, contaminate any evidence or check he hadn't left any clues behind.

Dauphin, Canada is a long way to drive from Sioux Falls. Approx 10 hours according to Google Maps. Although it's a fairly straightforward route. I'm guessing that investigators had nothing to tie Gene Lodermeier there around the time those items were found in the ladies' restroom. I'm wondering why someone planted those items there to throw off the cops while the purse and checkbook were found by the bank of the Big Sioux River?

 

[Pennysmom1]

I lived in SD for 20 years but never heard of this case. It sounds like the police suspected her husband at the time, Gene; he passed away but Ellabeth is still missing.

Bringing Ellabeth home | KELOLAND.com




View attachment 301648 View attachment 301649

 

[Diane Redfern]

Summary of the case: Into thin air: What happened to Ellabeth Lodermeier?
Letter of Gene Lodermeier: Letter from Gene Lodermeier - Newspapers.com
Gene Lodermeier's obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/argusleader/name/gene-lodermeier-obituary?id=20370613
Extract from the obituary: "He and his mother managed the family partnership, Gene was responsible for maintenance and repairs. Gene enjoyed riding dirt bike on the trails in the Black Hills of South Dakota. He enjoyed his personal relationships with his many rental tenants. He could repair anything to working condition."
Jerry said he called her three times, but each of them the upstairs tenant answered the phone... Could the tenant be a friend of Gene? It appears he still had a key of the house, but if he entered the house, Beth would have screamed, she probably would have asked for help... And no one heard a thing?
It would be great to know which properties he and his family managed... Maybe her remains are there.

 

[theshadow45]

Ellabeth has been missing for 49 years today.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

 

[theshadow45]

Bumping, today is Ellabeth’s birthday.

 

[Raging Ranter]

It seems the purse & cheque book were planted there well after the fact. I can’t see cheques being identifiable at all after 18 years exposed to the elements. And the credit cards in Dauphin sound like a deliberate red herring.

 

[Pennysmom1]

Ella Beth Lodermeier - South Dakota Missing Person Directory

Details and Pictures of Ella Beth Lodermeier , Missing since March 1974

www.missingin.org

Ellabeth Mae Lodermeier – The Charley Project

• 
  
  
  
  

Ellabeth, circa 1974

• Missing Since 03/06/1974
• Missing From Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 11/26/1948 (75)
• Age 25 years old
• Height and Weight 5'1, 105 pounds
• 
  
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A blue peacoat, blue sweatshirt and blue jeans.
• 
  
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, green eyes. Ellabeth's nickname is Beth. Some agences refer to her as Ella Beth Lodermeier. Her maiden name is Keller.

Details of Disappearance​

Ellabeth was last seen at her home the 300 block of north Indiana Avenue in in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on the evening of March 6, 1974. Her boyfriend also lived in Sioux Falls, but was out of town on the day she disappeared. He agreed to call her between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. He did call, three times, but each time the upstairs tenant answered the phone, and he was never able to talk to Ellabeth.

She was estranged from her husband, Gene Vernel Lodermeier, at the time, and they were in the process of a divorce. It was her co-workers who told him, the next morning, that she hadn't shown up for work and they couldn't find her.

Gene went to Ellabeth's residence and found a loaf of bread rising in the kitchen, flour spilled on the floor, and a fresh pizza with one piece missing. Her car was parked in the driveway, the house was locked and nothing was missing except her coat and purse. She has never been heard from again.

Later in 1974, Ellabeth's credit cards were found in a women's bathroom at the Canadian National Railway in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. This is nearly a ten-hour drive north of Sioux Falls, and authorities could find no sign that Ellabeth had ever been there. They think probably someone else put the cards there in an attempt to distract the investigation.

In 1992, eighteen years after her disappearance, her purse, wallet and checkbook were found on the banks of the Big Sioux River near Highway 42 and south Riverview Avenue, east of Sioux Falls. A search of the river turned up no sign of her or her body.

Ellabeth's family had never approved of Gene, and described him as controlling and abusive. He would even disable her car occasionally to stop her from going to her college classes. In 1973, Ellabeth filed for divorce and said under oath the Gene had abused her, something he later denied.

She soon met and began seeing another man. Her boyfriend immediately returned to Sioux Falls when he realized she was missing, went to the police, and took and passed a polygraph exam. He was cleared of suspicion in her case.

Gene, who was the last person to see her, is considered a person of interest in her case; Ellabeth disappeared three weeks before the divorce case was to go to trial. In February 1978, nearly four years after she disappeared, Gene filed a lawsuit against the city of Sioux Falls, claiming he had been harassed by the six police officers and jailed for nine days. The officers were cleared of harassment, however.

Gene ran into trouble with the law numerous times after his wife went missing. The most serious conviction was in 1989, when he was sentenced to 45 years in prison for grand theft. He was also accused of putting a pipe bomb in a police officer's car in 1977, and of try to have two Sioux Falls police officers killed, although none of those charges ever it to court.

In 2002, after serving 13 years of his sentence, Gene was paroled. He died of natural causes in 2013, at the age of 66, without having ever remarried. Ellabeth's parents are also dead, and her sister died in 2016, but her brother and former boyfriend are still alive.

Ellabeth was born in Billings, Montana, and later her family moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota. She attended Northern State University in Aberdeen before transferring to Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. She graduated from Augustana in 1972, with a bachelor's degree in social work, and worked as a social worker afterwards.

During her marriage, she and her husband had traveled throughout the midwest, including all over South Dakota and in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota.

Her case remains unsolved and foul play is suspected.

Investigating Agency​

• Sioux Falls Police Department 605-367-7234

Source Information​

• The Doe Network
• NamUs
• KSFY
• KDLT News
• The Argus Leader
• Keloland

Updated 6 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated June 17, 2021; two pictures added.