On Feb. 1 at 2:40 p.m., the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) released a statement regarding William Eickholt, age 74 of Denmark Township. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office was seeking the assistance of the public in locating Eickholt. Officials noted that officers responded to his property on St. Croix Trail at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 1 due to the report of a vehicle fire. The fire was extinguished by Hastings Fire Department personnel, and they cleared the scene by 4:30 a.m. The cause of the fire was unknown. This is the second fire reported at the location, the first being a major structure fire on July 30, 2024.
The location of the residence was down a long, narrow driveway which created issues fighting the earlier. During the visit on Feb. 1, officers noted evidence at the scene that indicated Eickholt was injured. It was noted that Eickholt was in an unknown vehicle wearing unknown clothing other than that he “typically wears women’s clothing.” This statement was confirmed by residents that have witnessed him wearing women’s clothing which was used as a unique description to help find him.
On Feb. 2 at 11:40 a.m., the City of Hastings announced that 10th Street East, also known as Ravenna Trail, was closed for a police investigation. Later that afternoon, both the Hastings Police Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office each released a similar statement regarding the situation that forced the closure of 10th Street. The two departments investigated the scene together because the case originated in Denmark Township which is in Washington County.
The release:
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Hastings Police Department are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man who was located deceased on Sunday, Feb. 2, just south of Lake Isabelle in Hastings.
Hastings police officers responded to the 1300 block of Ravenna Trail (10th Street) shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday in response to a 911 call of a deceased man in the ditch. This area is approximately 150 feet East of the bridge that crosses the Vermillion River.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed a vehicle stopped on the side of the road at the 1300 block of Raveena Trail between 2 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, and 9:50 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2, to contact the Hastings Police Department at 651-480-2300 or the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 651-439-9381.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine his identity and the cause and manner of death. His identity will be released after the preliminary autopsy and family notifications are complete.
While the man’s identity has not yet been confirmed, investigators believe this incident is connected to a Washington County Sheriff’s Office missing person and suspicious fire investigation in Denmark Township around 2 a.m. February 1st.
Anyone with information about Saturday’s fire at the St Croix Trail property in Denmark Township are urged to contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office or Hastings Police Department.
Additional information will be released as the investigation progresses.
The agencies are being assisted with their investigation by the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and State Fire Marshal division and the Hastings Fire Department.
Accounts of the scene before officials arrived state the deceased man in the ditch fit the description of Eickholt. Positive identification of the body had not been made as of press time.