Overview
- Search teams located a 56-year-old man believed to be Harlan Altepeter at about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday inside the Wild Rose Wildlife Management Area.
- The search began after a citizen reported Altepeter’s vehicle parked for several days in the WMA parking lot, prompting deputies to open an investigation.
- Initial efforts used ground teams, a drone with thermal imaging and the Minnesota State Patrol Aviation Unit before a broader coordinated search expanded the operation.
- Officials reported no signs of trauma or suspicious activity at the scene and said earlier cell-phone tracking was inconclusive while the medical examiner processes the body.
- Family members thanked searchers and authorities expect the autopsy and office findings to clarify the cause, location details and timing of Altepeter’s death.