Cassandra Rhines Murder 1985

Cassandra Rhines went missing in June of 1985. The last person to hear from Cassandra was a friend who said that Cassandra had called and said she would be at her goddaughter’s birthday party.

Cassandra Rhines was 19 years old when she went missing. She lived in an apartment building at 2700 Grand Ave. South in Minneapolis, near Whittier Park. She lived with Donald McSwain, who is now deceased.

She never showed up at the party and was not seen or heard from again.

In May 2014, an off-duty Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy was training his dog in a remote, wooded area in Gooseberry Falls State Park when he discovered the skeletal remains of a woman.

In 2013, Cassandra’s sister submitted a DNA sample to the Minnesota BCA. When remains were found in Gooseberry Falls State Park, investigators were able to match DNA from the skeletal remains to Cassandra.

Investigators Seek Information from the Public About Recently Discovered Homicide Victim
Remains found in Gooseberry Falls State Park identified through DNA match

Lake County Sheriff Press release 2015

​The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the murder of a Minneapolis woman whose remains were found in Gooseberry Falls State Park. Investigators believe she was murdered near the time she disappeared.

On May 6, 2014, an off-duty Lake County Sheriff’s Office employee discovered the skeletal remains of a woman in a rarely-traveled part of the park. Based on examinations of the remains by the St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office and a forensic anthropologist, investigators determined that the individual had been the victim of homicide.

In August 2014, BCA scientists matched DNA from the remains to that of family members who provided DNA in 2013 as part of the BCA’s unidentified remains effort. The DNA identified the victim as Cassandra Rhines of Minneapolis. Rhines had been missing since June 1985. She was 19 at the time she went missing.

“Cassandra Rhines was last heard from in June 1985, when she called a friend to confirm her attendance at her Goddaughter’s birthday party in Minneapolis the next day,” said Lake County Sheriff Carey Johnson. “She never showed, and was never heard from again.”

Rhines lived in a multi-unit apartment complex at 2700 Grand Avenue South near Whittier Park in Minneapolis. Investigators want to hear from people who knew her or who lived in the vicinity of the building at the time and who may have information that would be helpful to the investigation.

At the time of her disappearance, investigators believe Rhines may have been involved in prostitution and may have worked as an exotic dancer. In addition, investigators believe that Rhines may have been living with a man. They’re seeking the public’s help to identify him because he may be able to provide information about the time during which she disappeared.

“Investigators need the public’s help to better understand who Cassandra Rhines knew and who may have sought to harm her,” said BCA Assistant Superintendent Drew Evans. “The clearer picture we have of the time when she disappeared, the better chance we have of finding out who killed her.”

Anyone with information about Cassandra Rhines is urged to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 218-834-8385 or the BCA at 651-793-7000, 877-996-6222, via email at bca.coldcase@state.mn.us or via the BCA Tip Form at https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca/bca-divisions/investigations/Documents/BCA-Tip-Form.pdf. Tips can be anonymous.

[I have contacted the Lake County sheriff’s office to receive information on any updates on this case.]

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