MN Opens Tip Reward Program for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Cases

The state currently has 16 open MMIR cases eligible for rewards. Three of those cases are for Jeremy Jourdain (on left), Nevaeh Kingbird (middle), and Eleanore Halverson (right), who went missing in the Lakeland viewing area.

Minnesota has a new tip program for missing and murder Indigenous relatives cases.

The Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag (“They will be remembered forever” in Ojibwe) Reward Fund tip program comes from the state’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Office within the Department of Public Safety. It was unveiled at a press conference today in St. Paul.

The rewards are set in tiers:

• $1,000 to $2,500 for tips on the identity of persons of interest,
• $5,000 for tips that lead to an arrest or significant progress,
• and up to $10,000 for locating remains or closing out long-term unsolved cases.

The goal is to help solve cases and bring justice and closure to families impacted by the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives. There are 16 MMIR cases currently eligible for rewards, including two in the Bemidji area.

“Within our own community … we have investigated thousands of missing person cases throughout the years,” said Bemidji Police Chief Mike Mastin at Wednesday’s press conference. “Thankfully, because of the diligent work of officers and detectives in our community, only two remain missing, and those two have been missing for far too long. Those individuals are Jeremy Jordain and Nevaeh Kingbird. And I am hopeful that this reward program encourages people who have been holding on to information for far too long to come forward. It’s time to give these families closure.”

Anonymous tips are accepted, but eligibility for a monetary reward may require follow-up verification or direct communication with law enforcement or the MMIR office. The hope is there will be more trust from possible tipsters with this new reward program.

“It’s difficult to speak to someone that you don’t trust,” continued Mastin. “And you have—we have to get over that somehow. And I’m hopeful that this does it. I’m hopeful that—you know, the question leading to why is this one different than Crime Stoppers, I’ve been asked that—this is tied to the MMIR office. Perhaps that creates a new level of trust that, you know, a belief that this organization can keep my identity safe, can keep me anonymous rather than another organization that I may not already trust.”

The missing persons case of Eleanore Halverson is one other local case that is reward eligible. Halverson was last seen in Northome on November 4, 2023.

The procedure to submit a tip can vary from case to case. Tips may be submitted directly to law enforcement agencies involved in the case or through a designated third party like Crime Stoppers MN.