6-year-old Missing After Mother's Suspected Suicide
Elle Ragin. Photo from BCA
NORTHFIELD—Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing 6-year-old girl after her mother died of suspected suicide inside her apartment Saturday morning.
Police say Lisa Wade, 39, was found dead inside an apartment on the 600 block of Maple Brook Ct. shortly before noon on July 2.
Elle Ragin and Lisa Wade. Photo from BCA
Wade’s death was an “apparent suicide,” police said, and now authorities believe she may have been involved in her daughter’s disappearance.
Authorities say Elle Ragin, 6, is about 3’6”, around 45 lbs., with brown, curly hair and brown eyes.
Information on Ragin’s last known location was not immediately released.
Police said they are processing Wade's residence and her vehicle for evidence of her daughter's disappearance.
Searches of the area have been conducted with K9 teams, drones and a State Patrol helicopter with no results as of early Monday evening.
The Northfield Police Department said searches continued Monday, July 4 and investigators "obtained valuable information assisting with gaining understanding into the disappearance of Elle Ragin,” according to a media release.
Police ask anyone who may have seen Ragin or Wade over the past two weeks to call 911 or the Northfield Police Department at 507-645-4477.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI are assisting.
TUESDAY UPDATE: The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office said it assisted in the search, using dive team members to investigate the Mississippi River County Park area, in northeastern Stearns County.
Northfield police say Lisa Wade is believed to have been in the park in late June with her daughter. The girl’s cell phone was found on land in the park and Wade’s purse was later found in the river, police have confirmed.
The Sheriff’s Office worked in conjunction with the Northfield Police Department and the Minnesota BCA, continuing the search on Tuesday. Also assisting were several area fire departments and members of the volunteer NorthStar Search and Rescue team.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, Elle was still missing.
On June 21 at about noon, Wade is believed to have traveled from her home in Northfield to Mississippi River County Park in Stearns County outside of Rice. According to cell phone records obtained through a search warrant, Wade’s cell phone was shut off around 3 p.m. that day inside the park, police said.
On June 23 at around 9 a.m., a Stearns County deputy had contact with Wade in the park, and she reportedly said she’d lost her phone and car keys while hiking. Her vehicle was found at the park and she said she needed help. Wade was alone at the time and the deputy assisted her with getting a tow.
The next week, Wade had contact with family members and seemed “distraught,” though further details were not released by authorities. Then on July 2, Wade was found dead inside the Northfield residence after a welfare check was called in by an extended family member, police said.
Investigators have been able to locate video of Lisa between June 23 and July 2 at various locations, but Elle was not seen with her at any of those times.
“We are still extremely hopeful, but based on the evidence we have at this time, we’re concerned we may not be able to find her,” Northfield Police Chief Mark Elliott said Tuesday.
Authorities are still searching the river and park area, which will remain closed until further notice.
Police say there is no information to suggest anyone else may have been involved in her disappearance.
If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please get help now by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK).
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