Brother: Body of missing sister recovered on reservation
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The brother of a North Dakota woman who went missing last fall has confirmed that it was his sister’s body that was found in a pickup truck pulled from a lake on the Fort Berthold Reservation.
Matthew Lone Bear told the Bismarck Tribune that his sister, Olivia Lone Bear, was identified by her tattoos. The 32-year-old mother of five was last seen driving in a pickup in New Town on Oct. 25, 2017.
“At least she’s home now,” he said.
Volunteer searchers fanned out across the state after the woman’s disappearance, using drones and setting up mobile camps. A group began searching Lake Sakakawea with sonar last week and found submerged truck, said Lissa Yellowbird-Chase, who coordinates the volunteer Sahnish Scouts of North Dakota.
“That one was a priority for me because it’s kind of secluded,” she said. “Not too many people would have noticed.”
The truck was pulled from the lake on Tuesday. It was underwater about 30 feet (9 meters) and roughly 150 to 200 feet (46 to 61 meters) from shore, said volunteer Melaine Stoneman. The vehicle was covered in grime and silt, and had broken windows, according to Stoneman and Yellowbird-Chase.
The FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, North Dakota Highway Patrol and a sheriff’s office are involved in the investigation, said FBI spokesman Michael Kulstad. He declined to speculate as to whether anything criminal had occurred.
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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com