Peter Achermann

It’s been more than 14 years since 82-year-old Peter Achermann was seen in the Staples-Motley area, and new searches to hopefully find out what happened to him are resuming this month.

Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk reports that during the next month, officials will revisit the area of 85th Avenue SW in rural Staples where Achermann’s vehicle was located on a minimum maintenance road on July 25, 2009. Since 2009, the landscape and terrain of the area that Achermann’s vehicle was located in has changed due to drought and timber harvesting.

Initial investigators assigned to this case have retired or moved on, both at the county and state level, and reassignments to the case have been made. Revisiting the initial search area will give officials an opportunity to learn about and reorient themselves with the area and the search that was done for months following the disappearance of Peter and the locating of his vehicle.

Sheriff Welk reports that is important to note that while nothing significant has been recently learned about the case, the public will see officials and a number of agencies searching in the area this fall as the foliage changes. Welk also says that over the past 14 years since the disappearance, numerous tips have been received and leads followed up, but nothing significant to the ongoing investigation has been revealed.

The Sheriff’s Office is not requesting any additional assistance from the public while searching and revisiting the area of the next month. Any information regarding the disappearance or case can be directed to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at 218-547-1424 or by submitting an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip through crimestoppersmn.org.

By — Lakeland News