ST. PAUL, Minn. (Valley News Live) – The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives has announced the opening of the Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag Reward Fund tip program.
This initiative will offer rewards of up to $10,000 for tips in eligible missing persons, suspicious death, or homicide investigations with the goal to help solve these cases and bring closure to the families impacted.
“Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag” in Ojibwe means “they will be remembered forever”.
To be eligible for this award, the case must have completed the MMIR intake process and be open with a law enforcement agency. Tips must provide specific and actionable information that advances the investigation. There is an exclusion for tipsters involved as suspects or accomplices are not eligible for payout, nor are deceased tipsters.
The amount of the award is determined by the lead law enforcement agency for each case. The award will be:
– Between $1,000 and $2,500 for tips that result in significant investigative progress identifying persons of interest, primary suspects or accomplices.
– Up to $5,000 for tips that lead to the arrest of a suspect or suspects, or substantial progress in the investigation.
– Up to $10,000 for long-term missing or homicide cases that result in location of remains, supports the decision to prosecute or results in case closure.
There are 16 MMIR cases currently eligible for rewards. The procedure to submit a tip can vary from case to case. Tips may be submitted directly to law enforcement agencies involved in the case or through a designated third party like Crime Stoppers.
Anonymous tips are accepted. However, eligibility for a monetary reward may require follow-up verification or direct communication with law enforcement or the MMIR Office.
Eligible Cases:
– Jojo Boswell, Owatonna Police Department
– Melissa Burt, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
– Leo Coleman Cortez, Anoka County Sheriff’s Office
– Mato Dow, Redwood Falls Police Department
– Melissa ‘Mitzi’ Eagleshield, Becker County Sheriff’s Office
– April Geyer, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
– Eleanore Halverson, Itasca County Sheriff’s Office
– Jeremy Jourdain, Bemidji Police Department
– Nevaeh Kingbird, Bemidji Police Department
– Allison Lussier, Minneapolis Police Department
– Peter Martin, Fond du Lac Tribal Police Department
– Taylor Mahto, Minneapolis Police Department
– Kateri Mishow, Minneapolis Police Department
– Frank Ortley, Minneapolis Police Department
– Sheila St. Clair, Duluth Police Department
– Timothy Stone, International Falls Police Department
According to the BCA’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse data, 716 Indigenous persons went missing in Minnesota last year. Of those, 57 percent were women.
