Incident Summary:
On Saturday evening, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a person on an ATV had located a Dodge Intrepid which was stuck down a remote trail north of Fredenburg Township (north of Duluth). The vehicle was found to be the same one Ed Lepage was last seen driving. A search of the area was conducted that evening. The search continued all day Sunday. It was coordinated by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office Rescue Squad. The area is heavily wooded and swampy. Searchers were assisted by a helicopter from the MN Army National Guard as well as Rescue Squad canines and drones.
Search efforts continue this week, focusing within walking distance of where the vehicle was located. Specially trained canines will also be utilized. At this time the Sheriff’s Office is not asking for assistance from the public with the ground search. Anyone who may have had contact with Mr. Lepage in the past two weeks is urged to contact the Duluth Police or the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office by calling 911 or 218-336-4350.
Assisting Agencies
Additional Information or Update:
On Sunday, August 27, 2017, members of the Lepage family organized a search near the area where his vehicle had been found. Family members and friends found what was believed to be evidence of human remains. The following day, members from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Volunteer Rescue Squad returned to the area and with the aid of a specially trained canine were able to locate additional human remains. The remains will be transported to the Midwest Medical Examiners Office in Ramsey, MN for analysis and to determine positive identification.
Evidence strongly suggests the remains are that of Mr. Lepage, however, positive identification has not yet been determined. This case remains under investigation by the Sheriff's Office.
Authority: Sgt. Wade Rasch
Date: 8-28-2017 Time: 10:00 PM
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