SHOREWOOD, Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities say the death of the person found in Lake Minnetonka on Oct. 14 was ruled a suicide.
Body found in Lake Minnetonka
What we know:
In an updated release Thursday night, police said the preliminary cause of death for the person was suicide.
Police say the case is still active, but no further information was made available.
The backstory:
According to a search warrant, just before 2 p.m. on Oct. 14, South Lake Minnetonka police were called to the 4500 block of Enchanted Point in Shorewood for a boathouse fire. The person who called reported seeing a body in the water that was "burnt up."
When authorities arrived on scene, they located a smoldering dock and a body in the lake. A detective noted in the warrant the body was "badly burned" and appeared to have a fractured leg.
The detective’s report detailed that the dock’s canopy was burned, and the victim seemed to have "sunk through the dock and into the water." The report also indicates that investigators found signs of accelerants in the area or near the body.
Officers reported the home was locked, but a vehicle registered to two people with the same last name was located on the property. Investigators sought and received a warrant to search the home, vehicle and any evidence inside that could explain how the person sustained their fatal injuries, or whether any criminal activity was involved.
Items seized from the property included two laptops, three cellphones, paperwork possibly containing a note or will, and an unidentified can, according to the warrant. A dog was also taken into custody.
Dig deeper:
According to court records, one of the individuals associated with the property was the subject of an Extreme Risk Protection Order earlier this year. The order was filed in January by the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department due to concerns about their mental state and potential risk if they possessed firearms. The individual was eventually civilly committed.
The Source: This story uses information from a Hennepin County search warrant, additional court records and a press release from the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department.