Hennepin County Medical Examiner Rules Missing Minnesota Man’s Death as a Homicide

Hastings, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Minnesota man, who was found dead after being reported missing earlier this year, died by homicide. 

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That’s according to an autopsy report released Friday by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office. The murder victim was reported missing on February 1. 

Authorities reported finding his body one day later. 

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Autopsy Determines Hastings Man Found Dead After Being Reported Missing Died of Gunshot Wound

The autopsy determined 74-year-old William Michael Eickholt of Hastings died from a gunshot wound to the head at 09:30 a.m. on February 2. 

His location of death is listed as 1300 10th St. East in Hastings, which is the same location where his body was discovered. 

A missing person alert issued for Eickholt by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said he had vanished from the scene of a February 1 fire at his own property, located north of Hastings. 

At the time, law enforcement described the fire as suspicious and also indicated Eickholt may have been wounded when he disappeared. 

Following the body discovery, the Hastings Police Department requested anyone who may have seen a vehicle stopped on the side of the road in the area of the body discovery between 1 a.m. February 1 and 9 a.m. February 2 to contact the Hastings Police Department or Washington County Sheriff’s Office. 

In May, The Washington County Sheriff’s Office renewed a call for information related to the homicide investigation.