Missing Since: 1982-07-11 Location: International Falls, Minnesota
Ellsworth was last seen in the evening of July 11, 1982 in International Falls, Minnesota. Earlier, he was involved in a disruption at the local Union Hall after he and his friends crashed a wedding reception there. He had used false identification under the name Dale Anderson to buy beer for himself. A witness reported seeing Ellsworth leaving the hall headed toward the bowling alley at 2:30 a.m. He reportedly said, “Anybody who stays around here is going to jail, come with me to heaven.” Ellsworth had done some janitorial work for his father at the Rex Hotel in International Falls and had a key to the building. The hotel was abandoned at the time, but Ellsworth may have been sleeping in a basement room in the hotel. He was aware that a cot was still down there. The building caught fire and burned to the ground on July 11. Ellsworth’s remains were not found in the rubble, but the car he had been using was found parked across the street from the hotel. A key to the hotel was found nearby, but it is unknown whether it was Ellsworth’s. One witness says she saw Ellsworth walking in International Falls after the fire, but this has not been confirmed. He has never been heard from again. He has ties to Kelso, Washington, where his family members live and where he grew up. He also may have been sighted in Eau Claire, Wisconsin around the time of his disappearance. His case remains unsolved. Investigating Agency Koochiching Country Sheriff’s Department 218-283-4416 Source Information The Doe Network Minnesota Department of Public Safety The Stevens Point Journal The Minneapolis Star-Tribune Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated November 10, 2018; clothing/jewelry description and details of disappearance updated.