BCA releases new information on 2001 murder, asks for public help

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) on Friday released new information in an effort to solve the 2001 murder of Rachel Anthony.

The BCA states Anthony was finishing her shift at Ultimate Liquors in Pine River on Feb. 27, 2001. The store was scheduled to close at 10 p.m. but officers found Anthony’s car idling in the parking lot around 1 a.m. and she was missing. The door to the store was still unlocked and her purse and coat were still inside the store.

Anthony’s body was found six weeks later near Breezy Point, about 15 miles away from the store, the BCA says.

Investigators say they’ve learned the last purchase at the store that night — a bottle of Mickey’s Malt Liquor and Kool cigarettes — was made at 9:57 p.m. Authorities haven’t been able to identify who made that purchase but consider that customer to be a person of interest in Anthony’s murder.

Anyone with information that could help authorities solve Anthony’s murder is asked to call the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at 218-547-1424 or 800-450-2677, or the BCA at 651-793-7000 or 877-996-6222. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Spotlight on Crime is continuing to offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Anthony’s death.

“If someone has information, even if it’s the smallest detail, please report it as this little detail could make a difference,” Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch said in a statement. “The Cass County Sheriff’s Office and BCA are committed to following up on all leads and hope that one will bring us to the successful outcome of this tragic case.”

“We hope that this new detail may jog someone’s memory and we encourage them to come forward,” BCA Superintendent Drew Evans added. “Rachel’s family deserves answers, and the person who killed her deserves justice.”