The Hastings area community was shocked February 2nd when a body was found on Ravenna Trail in the early morning. Just a day earlier, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) released a statement regarding the disappearance of a Denmark Township man, William Eickholt, age 74. 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 fire on Feb. 1 was noted to be a suspicious fire and at the time, it was reported that evidence at the scene indicated that Eickholt was injured. A report came in to Hastings Police around 9:50 a.m. Feb. 2 of a body found on Ravenna Trail approximately 150 yards south of the bridge crossing the Vermillion River. According to the caller, the body found appeared to match the description of Eickholt. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) in connection with the Hastings Police Department and the BCA conducted the investigation and crime scene processing that led to a join release later that afternoon.
The initial release stated “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.”
In an email with Commander Kyle Schenck of the WCSO on Feb. 10, Commander Schenck gave a brief update.
“At this time a positive identification has not been made by the HCME Office. We are asking for the public's help if they saw anything suspicious from midnight Saturday morning Feb. 1 through 0950 Sunday morning Feb. 2 in the areas of St Croix Trail South, 110th St South to Manning Ave South, Morgan Ave South, and 127th St South to Hwy 61. Or any other location in that area of our county. Also, if residents in those areas would check their surveillance videos and if they see anything out of the ordinary to contact our ECRC/24hr dispatch at 651 439 9381. Nothing is too minor to have us check out,” said Commander Schenck.
In his statement, HCME is the Hennepin County Medical Examiner office, the official office that is responsible for properly identifying the body in question as well as determining cause of death. This updated request for the public’s help is offering a more substantial list of roads that may have been used in the route that ultimately ended with the body being found on Ravenna Trail.