Human remains discovered in a wooded area of Minnesota have been identified as a man who vanished more than six years ago.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) said the remains were found last month on a wooded property in the 1500 block of East St. Germain Street in Minden Township. Investigators collected the remains along with additional evidence at the scene with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The remains were then taken to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office for identification.
Authorities have now confirmed the remains belong to Timothy Scott Strand.
Strand, who lived in Cokato, was reported missing by a family member on June 17, 2019, according to a missing-person bulletin from the BCA. He was last known to be in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on May 8 of that year. The BCSO said Strand was 62 years old when he disappeared.
In April 2025, a separate bulletin shared by the Wright County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) noted that Strand’s son grew worried after Strand stopped communicating with his mother. Around that same time, investigators said they received a tip suggesting Strand may have been staying in homeless encampments in St. Cloud and might have been using his middle name, Scott.
According to the bulletin, local shelters were contacted and checked, but staff reported they had no records of contact with Strand.
The BCSO said Strand’s cause and manner of death have not yet been determined. The investigation remains ongoing.
