Missing Since: 1974-06-15 Location: Wright, Minnesota
Belinda was last seen at Little Eagle Lake in Wright County, Minnesota at 8:00 p.m. on June 15, 1974. She was house-sitting for a neighbor for the weekend, and planned to attend her sister’s graduation party. Belinda’s family called the house several times that day, but the lines were always down. The following day, they reported her missing. Timothy Joseph Crosby is a suspect in Belinda’s disappearance and in the murder of another woman, who disappeared in 1994 and was found strangled some months later. Crosby, who was Belinda’s age and had started attacking girls and young women by the early 1970s, lived alone in a cabin just 100 yards from the house Belinda was staying in when she disappeared. The day before she went missing, Belinda came to his home looking for his sister, but he told her she wasn’t at home. Late in 1974, Crosby was arrested for the kidnapping and rape of an eighteen-year-old woman. He has been arrested other times for sexual offenses since then and is currently civilly committed as a “violent sexual recidivist.” He has not been charged in Belinda’s disappearance, however. Belinda is described as a popular, ordinary teenager who enjoyed gardening. Investigators don’t believe she ran away. Foul play is suspected in her case. Investigating Agency Wright County Sheriff’s Office 763-682-7879 763-682-7637 Source Information Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension The Delano Herald Journal The Doe Network The St. Paul Pioneer Press KSTP Minnesota Court of Appeals Belinda VanLith’s Niece’s Twitter Account Updated 7 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated October 20, 2019; middle name added.