The little one's phone was found with some of her mom's items along the Mississippi River from the park to the Sartell Dam.
Trigger Warning: This story mentions suicide which may be disturbing to readers.
A 6-year-old Minnesota girl went missing after her mother was found dead in her home. The cops were desperately searching for her. At the time, the Rice County's Sherrif's office issued a statement on Facebook, stating, that the missing person is Elle Ragin and that "they discovered a resident of the home, Lisa Wade, 39, dead of an apparent suicide."
The cops further shared, "Police have reason to believe Wade may have been involved in Elle’s disappearance before taking her own life," the statement read.
Latest updates reveal that authorities, in their search for Elle, have concentrated on a park along the Mississippi River. Search and dive teams have been searching Mississippi River County Park near Sartell for the past few days, added Kare 11.
They found Elle's phone on land and Wade’s phone, keys, and purse in the water, added The Independent. Meanwhile, residents living along the Mississippi River from the park to the Sartell Dam are being asked to look for "items related to this investigation and to promptly call" authorities.
"Authorities believe Wade’s death — which they said was self-inflicted — is connected to little Elle’s disappearance". Hoping 6YO #Elle is found alive soon. Please use your platforms to raise awareness to help locate Elle!#MissingChild#suicide#6YearsOldhttps://t.co/4KxJvD2Iuh
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) July 5, 2022
Elle has not been seen since Sunday 19 June, Northfield Police Chief Mark Elliott has said. He further said that after getting a search warrant, the police had been able to track Wade using her cellphone records. He said that Wade's phone was not started after being switched off around 3 pm on June 21 when she drove from her home in Northfield to Mississippi River Park in Stearns County.
She also spoke with a maintenance worker and a Stearns County deputy in the park on 23 June stating that she had lost her phone and her car keys during a hike. Mr Elliott said that the deputy had her car towed to a mechanic to get a new key. The same week Wade "seemed distraught" while speaking with her family. She is without her daughter in all the surveillance footage between 23 June and 2 July.
As per PEOPLE, police said that authorities are "processing the family home and vehicle for clues of her disappearance and have conducted searches of the area with canine teams, drones, and the State Patrol Helicopter with negative results."
According to officials, they were called on July 2, 2022, at 11:49 am to a home on the 600 block of Maple Brook Court, where they found Wade dead, according to Law and Crime.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension also released a statement on Facebook, with the girl's details. "Elle Ragin, 6, is approximately 3’6”, 45 lbs., with brown curly hair and brown eyes," they shared. The department also wrote that it believes the child is in danger.
Officials are pleading for the public's help in the search for Elle, "Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Elle Ragin or who has seen Ragin or Wade over the past two weeks is urged to call Northfield Police Dept. 507-645-4477 or dial 911."
The officials have also issued a statement that they may not be able to find the little girl. "We are still extremely hopeful," Northfield Police Chief Mark Elliott said at a press conference, according to KARE. "But based on the information and evidence that we have at this time, we are concerned that we might not be able to find her."
If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is, please contact The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
References:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elle-ragin-missing-minnesota-phone-b2117133.html
Cover Image Source: Facebook | Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
