Authorities believe foul play led to the death of a 74-year-old Denmark Township man whose body was found last winter in a ditch in Hastings.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office said Friday that William Michael Eickholt died from a gunshot wound to the head before investigators found his body in a roadside ditch near the Vermillion River. No suspects have been arrested in the case, and what led to his death remains unknown.
Eickholt was living outdoors on his property in the 13500 block of St. Croix Trail S. in February when first responders were called for a fire there. Officials say evidence at the scene suggested that Eickholt was hurt, and the next day police found a body about six miles away in a roadside ditch in the 1300 block of Ravenna Trail. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified that it was Eickholt.
Mitch Carmody, a friend of Eickholt’s, said at the time that he worried Eickholt was the victim of a hate crime. He was known as a friendly and good-natured person who often wore women’s clothing while walking around the area.
“I felt he was very honest with me. He didn’t seem angry with anything,” Carmody said of Eickholt’s disappearance. “It’s hard to believe anyone would be angry at him other than [for] his lifestyle.”
Investigators asked anyone with information about Eickholt’s death to contact the Hastings Police Department at 651-480-2300 or the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 651-439-9381.
Elliot Hughes of Minnesota the Star Tribune contributed to this report.