ELLE RAGIN
NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The search for a missing six-year old Northfield girl has shifted to a central Minnesota county park on the Mississippi River.
Authorities have been searching for Elle Ragin since finding her 39-year old mother, Lisa Wade, dead of an apparent suicide in her Northfield apartment over the weekend.
Northfield Police Chief Mark Elliott says Wade had driven to Mississippi River Park near the town of Rice in late June, where she told a deputy she lost her phone and keys. Those were eventually found in the river.
Elliott says the child’s inactive cell phone also was found in the park. He says a river search for the girl has been underway for the past few days.
“We are still extremely hopeful, but based on the information and the evidence we have at this time, we are concerned that we may not be able to find her,” Elliot says.
A father himself, Elliott says the case has been hard on everyone involved.
This is difficult,” Elliot explained. “This is a very difficult investigation for everybody we have on this team, whether they have their nieces and nephews, this is a heartbreaking case. A six-year old that is missing, I can’t think of one that is much more difficult to investigate than this.”
Elliot also adds that the girl and her mother had a very tight bond with each other.
“What has been described to us is that Elle and her mother had a very close relationship,” Elliot said. “It was very uncommon to have one seen without the other. Outside of work or school where they would be separated was just very, very uncommon to see one without the other.”
Elliott says they’re not aware of any connections Wade may have had to Stearns County or that particular park. The investigation is ongoing.
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