'The search will continue every day'
Still no sign of rural Leader man
The search continues for the 82-year-old rural Leader man who has been missing now for a month.
Peter Achermann was last seen July 24 at Ernie's Grocery in Staples. His vehicle was found the next day about 10 miles from his rural Leader home, stuck in a mud puddle on a minimum maintenance road. Groceries and prescription medications that Achermann had picked up the day before were still inside the vehicle. The vehicle keys were missing.
Peter Achermann
Searches have been daily since Achermann's disappearance and Cass County Sheriff Randy Fisher said canines would be used in a search Thursday in the same search area where the vehicle was found. Searches have taken place over a four square mile area in Becker Township, in the southwestern part of the county. Fisher said the area is impassable in some areas and there are wetlands, bogs, swamps, pasture lands, dense brush and woods and pine stands that have made the searches more difficult.
The searches for Achermann started with law enforcement, family members and hundreds of volunteers. Volunteers have included Achermann's family and friends, members of two fire departments, two dive teams, members of two mounted posses, the DNR with aircraft and vehicles for traversing wetlands, the State Patrol and members of the Minnesota National Guard helped search for one weekend.
"We've had hundreds of volunteers looking, but he still has not been found," said Fisher. "We are not requesting anymore volunteers at this time. The search will continue every day and will until he is found. He is a missing person and whether that was voluntary or involuntary it is important for us to continue.
"The one thing I want the public to know is that it is important for people to contact us if they have any information that can lead us to finding him."
Fisher said the sheriff's office is following up on all information and reports it receives on Achermann. Fisher said the sheriff's office has not had a lot of leads.
Fisher said the sheriff's office does not believe foul play is involved in Achermann's disappearance, but they can't rule it out.
Achermann is a white man, about 5-foot-9, 175 pounds and has a black and gray beard and generally walks with a cane.
Anyone with information on Achermann's whereabouts is asked to call the Cass County Sheriff's Department at (800) 450-2677 or (218) 547-1424.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.