http://www.pineandlakes.com/stories/050708...080507005.shtmlWednesday, May 7, 2008
12:23 PM on Wednesday, May 7, 2008
$50,000 reward offered in Rachel Anthony cold case
By Kelly Virden
kelly.virden@pineriverjournal.com
Spotlight on Crime billboard on Highway 371 in Pine River
Seven years after Rachel Anthony of rural Pequot Lakes was abducted from Pine River and murdered, investigators hope to breathe new life into the unsolved case.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and area law enforcement hosted a news conference May 1 at city hall in Pine River to announce a $50,000 Spotlight on Crime Reward for information resulting in the arrest and prosecution of whoever killed Anthony.
Spotlight on Crime is a nonprofit that funds rewards to help solve cold cases in Minnesota and has offered more than $1 million in rewards to date.
Anthony, who was 50 at the time of her death, disappeared Feb. 21, 2001, from Pine River's Ultimate Liquors, where she was an employee. At that time Ultimate Liquors was on Barclay Avenue.
Her body was discovered six weeks later in Breezy Point.
One of the speakers at last week's press conference was Dave Bjerga, assistant superintendent of the BCA.
At the time of Anthony's disappearance, Bjerga was the case manager for the investigation.
The night of her abduction, the weather was 10 below zero and there was heavy snow cover. Anthony was working alone and went outside to smoke a cigarette around 9:30 p.m.
She left the building again just before 10 p.m. to start her car and let it warm up.
According to investigators, she went back into the store and locked the front door behind her. That was the last time she was seen.
Her coat, purse and gloves were found inside the store. The front door remained locked and the back door remained open.
Investigators were able to track all the purchases at the store with the exception of the last sale made at 9:58 p.m., two minutes before closing should have occurred.
Someone came into the store and purchased a 40-ounce bottle of Mickey's Malt Liquor and a pack of Kool cigarettes. "We have not located the purchaser of those items, which, to us, is significant," Bjerga said.
Investigators have resubmitted numerous pieces of evidence in the case - including hair, fibers and possible DNA - and are essentially reworking the case from square one.
"There are tests now that the BCA laboratory can do with equipment that wasn't even available in 2001," Bjerga said. "We're fairly optimistic that we're going to have some positive results from that."
Investigators have reason to believe the perpetrator or perpetrators of the crime may be from the area.
They are hopeful that highlighting the case will result in someone bringing forward additional information.
"Someone maybe has information that they don't even realize could be important to the investigation," said Cass County Sheriff Randy Fisher, who also spoke at the news conference.
Fisher read a statement from Anthony's family members, who declined to speak at the news conference. "Our family needs to find peace, and only finding the person or persons responsible for this tragedy will make this happen," he read.
People's relationships change, someone who is boyfriend/girlfriend, or husband/wife back in 2001 may not be together now, Bjerga said. "There may have been a comment made or a threat made that alluded to this case; those are the folks we want to talk to," he said.
Pine River Police Chief Josh Ebert said the Rachel Anthony case was one of the first things that came to his attention when he started as chief in 2003. Ebert met with investigators from Cass County and the BCA to review the case.
"It has been interesting to be a part of a community that has suffered from this type of a tragedy. Even to this day I still have calls that come into the office and walk-ins and people who are interested in where this case is at and what's happening, and if there are any further developments," Ebert said.
Even though it's been seven years, the case was and will continue to be fresh in the minds of law enforcement.
"This lady was going about the business of living her life and someone decided to come in - and for whatever reason take (her) from her family and the community and we're not going to forget about that," Bjerga said.
Whoever did this "opened a door that cannot be shut, and we have no intentions of closing that door. These cases get cold but they are never forgotten."