Sheriff’s Office Still Looking for Tips on Unsolved Reker Case

ST. CLOUD - Friday will mark the 42nd anniversary of Mary and Susanne Reker going missing from St. Cloud.

It was Labor Day: September 2nd, 1974, when Mary and Susanne left home a little after 11:00 a.m. to go shopping at the nearby Zayre Discount Store. They never returned and were missing for nearly a month. Both were later found on September 28th murdered in Quarry Park, they were stabbed multiple times.

Authorities are still searching for who's responsible for their murders.

WJON did an in-depth report on the cold case earlier this summer. Stearns County Chief Deputy Bruce Bechtold says the recent media coverage has led to more interest and tips from the public. He urges anyone with information to continue calling the Sheriff's Office.

"I think the media coverage brought in more interest and we got more calls. It's always good to hear from people if they have thoughts of things they're thinking about. We've always said: somebody knows something and we need to hear what it is."

Bechtold wouldn't comment on specific suspects or persons of interest in the case, but does say they're looking into several people.

"We have a few that we're interested in and the ones that we are interested in are alive."

Bechtold also can't comment on any recent progress in the case, but says it's been good to see increased awareness and tips from the public. A new investigator was assigned to look at the case earlier this year and authorities continue to voice the need for a crucial witness to come forward.

"If they saw anything or heard people talking about being affiliated. Sometimes if you heard something and you didn't come forward, it might be what we're looking for," Bechtold says.

If you know something about this case, you should contact the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at 320-251-4240 or the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Cold Case Homicide Unit at 1-888-234-3692

There’s still a reward of up to $50,000 being offered for information on the murders.