PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Interim Chief of Police Derek Randall
March 8, 2020
Welfare checks discover deceased woman & child—suspect still at large
Authorities are seeking the public’s help after an attempt to locate for a welfare check ends when officers find a mother and child deceased.
Shortly after 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, a concerned citizen notified law enforcement regarding fears over the well-being of a woman and her child.
Officers checked the home in question but were unable to contact or see anyone inside.
A search warrant was later conducted at the home, located in the 1600 block of Locke Lane in the City of Cloquet on the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation. While searching, officers found the bodies of a 27-year-old woman and an 18-month-old boy inside the house.
Names of the victims are being withheld pending identification and notification of next of kin.
It is believed the victims and suspects had a relationship or otherwise knew each other.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was requested for this crime lab services. BCA agents and crime scene technicians arrived and processed the scene.
Autopsies will be performed by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office in Ramsey, Minnesota.
The motive is under investigation. There are numerous witnesses, and the interviews may take some time.
Police are actively seeking a suspect, Sheldon James Thompson, a 33-year-old Native American man from Cloquet for questioning. Thompson is 5’7 tall, 180 lbs., brown eyes, and may have a shaved head.
Police believe Thompson might be driving a dark-colored sedan, possibly a Buick LeSabre or Park Avenue, or a tan Honda Accord with Wisconsin registration.
Thompson is believed to be armed and dangerous--the public is advised not to approach Thompson.
If you know the whereabouts of Thompson, you are asked to call 911.
Anonymous tips can be sent by sending the message TIP CLOQUETPD, followed by your message to 888777. A link to the tip line can also be found on the Cloquet Police Department Facebook and Twitter pages.
Sheldon Thompson is believed to be armed and dangerous.
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Cloquet Police were assisted by the Fond du Lac Police, Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Investigators and Crime Scene Unit, and the Carlton County Attorney’s Office.
