Volunteers search Minnesota woods for missing woman, believed murdered by boyfriend, with no police-led search.

Volunteers continued searching in Battle Lake, Minnesota, on Feb. 22, 2026, for 24-year-old Isadora Wengel, reported missing since Dec. 31, with authorities believing she was murdered by her 21-year-old boyfriend, Joshua Hite, between Jan. 3 and 6. Though the Fargo Police Department leads the investigation and Hite is jailed on a $5 million bond, no official search has been conducted by police, and the effort remains volunteer-led. Searchers, including Wengel’s father and residents familiar with Hite, combed areas in Otter Tail County despite cold weather, hoping to find her body or a 27-gallon black tote with a red lid possibly containing evidence. The Battle Lake Police urged respect for private property, and authorities stressed the investigation remains active, with over 70 tips received since Hite’s arrest.