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Greater Minnesota
Kirsti Marohn
Brainerd, Minn.

Cass County revives search for man missing since 2009

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Authorities in Cass County are renewing the search for a man who went missing 14 years ago in rural Staples, Minn.

Peter Achermann
Peter Achermann has been missing since 2009.
courtesy photo

Eighty-two-year-old Peter Achermann was last seen on July 24, 2009, when he left his home to run errands. His vehicle was found the next day in the middle of a minimum maintenance road in Becker Township.

“There was nothing around, and nobody’s seen Pete since,” said Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk.

Over the next month, searchers will revisit the area where Achermann's vehicle was found. Welk said the ongoing drought has provided an opportunity to search ditches and lowlands that were previously filled with water.

“We did a site visit and saw that the water had receded a lot,” he said. “It may be beneficial for us to look in that area to see if there’s any more clues or any more evidence that we can find that we couldn’t see at the initial time of the search.”

Welk said they’ve followed up on numerous tips and leads over the years, but still haven’t determined what happened to Achermann.

“We need to find out what happened to Peter, and give the family closure and answers to what happened,” Welk said. “We won’t stop till we come to a conclusion.”

Some of the original investigators have since retired, but new ones have been assigned who could bring fresh eyes to the case, Welk said. There’s also new technology that wasn’t available in 2009, such as drones and partial DNA identification, he said.

“One thing we’re trying to see if there’s any more evidence or anything that we can find,” Welk said. “If anybody has any tips or leads, we’d sure appreciate a call.”

Anyone with information on the case can call the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at 218-547-1424 or submit an anonymous tip online at the Crime Stoppers website.