UPDATE: This story was updated at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, after authorities reported finding Samuel Waln's vehicle and a body nearby.
WADENA — The body of who is believed to be a 30-year-old Wadena man was discovered Wednesday, July 16, by a search and rescue team in rural Sebeka.
The sheriff's office provided an update in a news release after asking for the public's help to find Samuel Waln a day earlier. Waln was last seen traveling eastbound on Highway 10 in Wadena the afternoon of Saturday, July 12.
The sheriff's office received a report Wednesday that a vehicle matching the description of Waln's white 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee was found. Sheriff's deputies arrived at the site and confirmed it was the correct vehicle. A search of the area revealed the body of a man located 240 feet above the ground in a tower.
Because of the height of the tower, the sheriff's office requested assistance from an urban search and rescue team. Minnesota Task Force 1, which is part of the State Fire Marshal's Office, responded and recovered the dead man. The body was transported to Midwest Medical Examiner's Office for autopsy and official identification.
According to the release, the sheriff's office believes this was an isolated incident and there is no danger to danger to the public or foul play suspected.
Also assisting at the scene were the Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Wadena County Highway Department, Karvonen Funeral Home and Ken's Towing.
-
Plus: The Minnesota PCA will host an informational meeting on permitting and variance requests from US Steel's Keetac Mine in Virginia on Sept. 3; and Wadena drivers can expect major traffic changes as Highway 10 opens and work starts on Highway 71.
-
Experts emphasize that people should learn authentic ways to support school shooting survivors, even after the stories fade from headlines.
-
The free event focuses on practical ways to improve woodland habitat for wildlife, while keeping forests healthy and productive for future generations, the SWCD said.
-
Drivers in Wadena can expect two-lane traffic on Highway 10 to begin late on August 29, 2025, with Highway 71 closing as construction continues.
-
The Miracle-Ear Foundation is partnering with Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Tribal Public Health to offer free hearing screenings and hearing aids for up to 100 people.
-
Twelve new automatic license plate readers went up in Bemidji and other MN cities in May 2025. But the Flock Safety cameras raise concerns with privacy advocates.
-
Plus: Minneapolis mass shooting spurs talk of advanced, compassionate interventions; and a judge rejects a guilty plea in a Nashwauk voter fraud case.
-
Iron Rangers are concerned about the future of the facility because U.S. Steel estimated an $814 million cost to comply with the state's wild rice sulfate standard.
-
-
On Aug. 28, 2025, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of a shooting incident in the Prescott Housing area in Wilkinson Township, south of Cass Lake.