Where is Elle Ragin? Minnesota girl, 6, still MISSING 2 days after mom dies by suicide
Trigger Warning: This article discusses suicide, which some people might find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised
RICE, MINNESOTA: The body of Lisa Wade, 39, was discovered inside her Rice County home by Minnesota police at around noon on Saturday, July 2. Rice County Sheriff's Office confirmed via a statement on Facebook that Wade, 39, was "dead from an apparent suicide" after authorities arrived at her residence in the 600 block of Maple Brook Ct in Northfield. However, the woman’s young daughter, Elle Ragin, has not been found yet.
Officials revealed that even though Wade's death is self-inflicted, they believe that it is connected to little Elle’s disappearance. “Police have reason to believe Wade may have been involved in Ragin’s disappearance before taking her own life,” the Rice County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Investigators had not found the girl as of Sunday, July 2 night.
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Where is Elle Ragin?
Ragin has been missing since Saturday, July 2 night. “Authorities are processing the home and Wade’s vehicle for clues and have conducted searches of the area with canine teams, drones, and the State Patrol Helicopter with negative results,” the sheriff’s office said as per a report by PEOPLE. The office released photos and a description of the girl in hopes of locating her through a Facebook post.
According to The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is assisting with the investigation, Ragin is approximately 3 feet, 6 inches tall, and weighs 45 pounds. She has brown curly hair and brown eyes. Ragin is pictured smiling alongside Wade in two of the photos shared by the sheriff’s office.
“Police are actively investigating this case and are asking for the public’s assistance,” the sheriff’s office said. Investigators have asked anyone who has seen Elle or Wade in the past two weeks to call Northfield Police at 507-645-4477.
Earlier on the same day, the bodies of three young children, all under the age of 6, and their 23-year-old tattoo-artist mother were pulled out of Vadnais Lake in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota on Saturday, July 2 in a family tragedy that unfolded after the woman's husband apparently committed suicide, authorities said.
The first body was found around 7.30 pm Friday; the search continued into the evening until about 3 am and resumed three hours later on Saturday morning. The two boys were the first pulled from the lake, then the mother, then the girl. By 11 am, all four had been retrieved from the water.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741)