MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Missing Columbia Heights Man Matthew Timmons Found Dead in South Dakota, Ending Multi-State Search

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, MN (June 5, 2026) A search that began in the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities and stretched hundreds of miles across the Upper Midwest has ended in tragedy.

Authorities confirmed Thursday that Matthew Timmons, a 32-year-old Columbia Heights resident whose disappearance prompted a regional missing-person alert earlier this week, has been found dead in South Dakota.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) announced that a body discovered Wednesday near Mitchell, South Dakota, was positively identified as Timmons, bringing a heartbreaking conclusion to a case that had generated widespread concern among family members, law enforcement agencies, and community members across Minnesota.

The confirmation came less than 72 hours after authorities publicly appealed for assistance in locating Timmons, whose disappearance had raised immediate concerns because he was believed to be without medication required to manage an ongoing medical condition.

For several days, investigators worked to reconstruct his movements after he left his Columbia Heights residence and traveled south from the Twin Cities, leaving behind a trail that ultimately extended far beyond Minnesota's borders.

The chronology of the case began on Wednesday, May 27, when Timmons left his home in Columbia Heights driving a 2005 Ford Explorer bearing Minnesota license plate TAB-299.

According to information released by the Columbia Heights Police Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, family members became increasingly concerned after losing contact with him. Authorities later determined that Timmons was traveling without medication necessary to manage a medical condition, elevating concerns for his safety and prompting law enforcement agencies to treat the disappearance with heightened urgency.

As investigators worked to establish a timeline, available evidence and location data indicated that Timmons had traveled south through Minnesota.

His last confirmed location within the state was near Dundas, a Rice County community situated along the Interstate 35 corridor approximately 50 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

That information became a focal point of the search effort.

When the Columbia Heights Police Department and the BCA issued a public alert on June 2, authorities urged motorists and residents throughout southern Minnesota to remain alert for both Timmons and the vehicle he was believed to be driving. His description and vehicle information were distributed widely through law enforcement networks and media outlets across the region.

Timmons was described as 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing approximately 175 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

The search expanded beyond Minnesota after investigators determined that Timmons had likely continued traveling westward.

On Wednesday, June 4, authorities in South Dakota discovered a body near Mitchell, a city of approximately 15,000 residents located along Interstate 90 roughly 75 miles west of Sioux Falls and nearly 300 miles from Timmons' last confirmed location in Minnesota.

The Mitchell Police Department subsequently coordinated with Minnesota authorities to confirm the identity of the deceased.

On Thursday, the BCA issued an update confirming that the individual found near Mitchell was Matthew Timmons.

While the identification answers the central question that investigators and family members had been confronting for days, many questions remain unresolved.

Authorities have not released a cause of death.

Officials have also not disclosed the circumstances surrounding the discovery, whether the Ford Explorer was located at or near the scene, or whether investigators have identified any factors that contributed to Timmons' death.

At this stage, law enforcement agencies have not indicated that foul play is suspected. However, officials have emphasized that the investigation remains active and that conclusions regarding the circumstances of his death will depend upon findings from South Dakota investigators and the medical examiner's office.

The case is now being led by South Dakota authorities, with assistance and coordination from the Columbia Heights Police Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

As is common in death investigations involving individuals found outside their home jurisdiction, multiple agencies continue to share information while awaiting forensic and medical findings that could help establish a more complete account of the events leading up to Timmons' death.

The outcome has cast a somber shadow over what had become an increasingly urgent public search effort.

Missing-person investigations involving adults often receive heightened attention when medical vulnerabilities are involved because access to medication can be a critical factor in a person's health and safety. In Timmons' case, authorities repeatedly cited concerns about his medical condition as a key reason for seeking immediate public assistance.

The search also demonstrated the interconnected nature of modern missing-person investigations, which frequently involve coordination among local police departments, state investigative agencies, highway patrol systems, and neighboring jurisdictions.

In the span of just over a week, the investigation stretched from Columbia Heights to Rice County and ultimately into South Dakota, underscoring both the mobility of modern travel and the challenges investigators face when attempting to locate missing individuals across multiple states.

For family members and loved ones, the confirmation marks the end of an agonizing period of uncertainty but the beginning of a new period of grief.

Authorities have not released additional personal information about Timmons or commented on funeral arrangements out of respect for the family's privacy.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Columbia Heights Police Department, and the Mitchell Police Department have indicated that additional information may be released as the investigation progresses and as medical examiner findings become available.

Until then, many of the circumstances surrounding Matthew Timmons' final days remain unknown.

What is known is that a search that began with hope ended with loss.

MinneapoliMedia extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Matthew Timmons during this difficult time.

This remains an active investigation, and details may change as additional information becomes available from law enforcement authorities.

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