by April Scheinoha
Reporter
The search for a missing Lake Bronson woman is apparently over. Dawn Carlson had been missing since October 2013.
Late Thursday night, law enforcement pulled a car belonging to Dawn Carlson out of a river channel south of Lake Bronson State Park. A body was found inside the 2001 Mercury Sable. A purse was also found. It contained Carlson’s identification. Kittson County Sheriff Steve Porter said the body has been sent to the medical examiner’s office for positive identification and an autopsy.
“We’re very happy to put this case to rest for the family,” Porter said.
The car was found in about 13 feet of water near Highway 10. Earlier this spring, the sheriff’s office began searching bodies of water for Carlson and her car with specialized equipment. Porter said that decision was made since no hunters had ever reported finding Carlson’s missing car.
Porter said law enforcement had searched about a dozen bodies of water in the county and some wooded areas before finding the car.
Carlson was last seen Oct. 2, 2013, in the city of Karlstad. At the time, Porter said she abruptly left her home and left her animals behind. According to a timeline released to the media a short time after her disappearance, she had left a message two days later on a friend’s answering machine in Crosby. She was reported missing Oct. 5, 2013.
Family members had reported that she was suffering from depression and they were concerned for her safety. She had also said she wanted to move away and start a new life.