Andrew Sadek, a 20-year-old Caucasian male, was a student at the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, North Dakota, whose life took a tragic turn after a minor drug offense. In 2013, Sadek was caught selling small amounts of marijuana on campus to a confidential informant. Faced with the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence for felony charges, he agreed to become a confidential informant for the South East Multi-County Agency Narcotics Task Force.
This decision put him on a dangerous path that would ultimately lead to his death. His parents were unaware of his informant activities.
In the months that followed, Sadek worked under the supervision of law enforcement, making controlled drug buys from other sellers. However, in early 2014, he reportedly stopped communicating with his handlers. On May 1, 2014, Andrew Sadek was last seen leaving his dormitory. Nearly two months later, on June 27, 2014, his body was discovered in the Red River near Breckenridge, Minnesota. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and his backpack was filled with rocks.
An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as a gunshot wound, but the manner of death was ruled as undetermined. Law enforcement informally suggested the possibility of suicide, but Sadek's family has always maintained that he was murdered. They point to several suspicious circumstances, including the backpack filled with rocks, the fact that the gun was never found, and that he was wearing a jacket they didn't recognize. His wallet was also missing. Toxicology results came back negative for drugs and alcohol.
The investigation into Andrew Sadek's death has remained open and ongoing, but to date, there have been no arrests, and no suspects have been publicly identified. Sadek's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Richland County and a sheriff's deputy, alleging they failed to properly train and oversee their son and had coerced him into becoming an informant by misrepresenting the potential legal consequences he faced. The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed. In the wake of his death, North Dakota passed "Andrew's Law," which provides more protections for confidential informants.
