Human remains discovered near rest stop in Sleepy Eye, Minn.

The remains of a man reported missing in June were discovered at a rest area Sunday near Sleepy Eye, Minnesota.

At around 10:46 a.m. Sunday, a citizen who was using the rest area on Hwy. 4 near the Cottonwood River in Brown County reported seeing a gun, clothing and what appeared to be a bone.

Law enforcement responded, finding a revolver, human bone remains and some belongings, including a driver’s license belonging to Vincent Mathiowetz.

Aug. 1, the Ramsey County Medical Examiner confirmed that the human remains was Mathiowetz through dental records. 

Mathiowetz, then 73, was reported missing June 3. Law enforcement located his empty vehicle at a boat landing on Hwy. 4 near the Cottonwood River later that day.

According to the Sleepy Eye Police Department, Mathiowetz had shown signs of depression before his disappearance. 10 agencies assisted in the search for Mathiowetz in June, including the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and the Sleepy Eye Police and Fire Departments.

According to a release from the Brown County Sheriff, the area the human bone remains were found was in the “general area” where the previous searches for Mathiowetz took place in June. 

The remains found Sunday will be taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office to be compared with known DNA samples collected from Mathiowetz’s family members.