STAPLES — Drought conditions and timber cutting in the area where a missing man's vehicle was found 14 years ago are prompting law enforcement officials to scan the area again.
Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk reports during the next month, officials will revisit the area in rural Staples, where 82-year-old Peter Achermann’s vehicle was located on July 25, 2009. It was found on a minimum maintenance road.
Achermann was last seen in the Staples-Motley area the day before.
Initial Investigators assigned to this case have retired or moved on, both at the County and State level, and reassignments to the case have been made, the sheriff's office reported. Revisiting the initial search area will give officials an opportunity to learn about and reorient themselves with the area and the search that was done for months following the disappearance of Achermann and the locating of his vehicle.
And areas previously covered by water or trees are no longer, potentially revealing new clues.
The public will see officials and a number of agencies searching in the area this fall as the foliage changes. The sheriff's office is not requesting any additional assistance from the public while searching and revisiting the area over the next month.
Any information regarding the disappearance or case can be directed to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at 218-547-1424 or by submitting an anonymous Crime Stoppers Tip through a web portal at http://crimestoppersmn.org.
