Minneapolis police are investigating the discovery of a third body found within three days, with the latest incident occurring near the Stone Arch Bridge. University of Minnesota police responded to the area of Sixth Street and Main Street Southeast around 1 p.m. Monday and found the deceased individual.
The identity of the person found on Monday has not yet been released, and the cause of death remains unknown. Authorities have stated only that the victim is an adult. The Stone Arch Bridge, a historic structure dating back to 1883, spans the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis.
The discovery marks the third body found in the city in as many days. The first body was discovered by Minneapolis Park Police around 6 p.m. Saturday near East River Parkway and SE Oak Street, close to the Mississippi River. The following day, the Minneapolis Police Department and Park Police found another body near West 36th Street along the shoreline of Bde Maka Ska.
Of the three individuals, only the first victim has been publicly identified. Minneapolis police confirmed on Tuesday that the victim was 56-year-old Karen Lynn Sognesand of Maple Grove. Details surrounding Sognesand's death have not been released.
The second body found was reportedly severely decomposed, according to FOX9, and was removed from the scene by medical personnel. Authorities have not indicated whether any of the three deaths are connected.
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt stated that it is too early to determine any motives behind the discoveries and that investigators are working to ascertain the primary cause of death, considering possibilities such as drowning or other factors. "There's a lot still to be done, and we don't want to cause any unnecessary alarms," Witt told WCCO Radio, acknowledging the seriousness of the situation.