In the quiet community of Northfield, Minnesota, a heart-wrenching story unfolded with the disappearance of six-year-old Elle Ragin. She was a child described as happy and well-cared-for, with a close bond to her mother, Lisa Wade. Friends and neighbors remember Elle as a darling and friendly little girl. The last confirmed sighting of Elle was on June 19, 2022.
The life of this young girl, who attended Prairie Creek Community School, took a tragic and mysterious turn that would leave a community in sorrow and searching for answers. The series of events that led to her vanishing began in the weeks following her last sighting, creating a perplexing and devastating case for law enforcement and all who knew her.
The search for Elle began after a concerned family member requested a welfare check on July 2, 2022. Police arrived at the home in the 600 block of Maple Brook Court to find Elle's mother, 39-year-old Lisa Wade, deceased from an apparent suicide. There was no sign of Elle. Investigators believe Wade was involved in her daughter's disappearance before she took her own life. This belief was tragically supported by a suicide note left by Wade which stated that Elle was dead. The investigation into Wade's activities following Elle's last sighting revealed a troubling timeline. Cell phone records indicated that on June 21, Wade drove to Mississippi River County Park in Stearns County, a location with which she had no known connection. Her phone was turned off in the park that afternoon and never turned on again. Two days later, on June 23, a deputy encountered a distraught Wade in the same park; she claimed to have lost her keys and phone while hiking and was given assistance to have her car towed. Family members who had contact with Wade during the week of June 25 also described her as seeming distraught.
Extensive searches were launched in the Northfield area and concentrated heavily on the Mississippi River County Park. These efforts involved canine teams, drones, and dive teams scouring the land and the Mississippi River. The search of the park yielded some of the few pieces of evidence in the case: Elle's cell phone was discovered on land, while her mother's cell phone, purse, and keys were recovered from the river. Despite these discoveries and analysis of other evidentiary items, no trace of Elle has been found. Surveillance footage from various locations between June 23 and July 2 showed Lisa Wade, but her daughter was never seen with her, a fact investigators found highly unusual given their inseparable relationship. The case remains an open and active investigation. Authorities have followed up on numerous tips but have been unable to locate the young girl, leaving a community to grapple with the possibility that they may never know what truly happened to Elle Ragin.Last Seen: Jun 19, 2022
