ALEXANDRIA, Minn. — Friends of Desiree Frederick in Alexandria are still stunned.
"It's awful. Honestly when I heard about it, I was like, 'Did you say the right name? Desiree? Are you sure it's her?'" said friend and former co-worker Nicole Caye.
Police say the 60-year-old, known to friends as Desi, was murdered in a trailer the day after Thanksgiving. According to a publicly filed search warrant, Desi was dropped off there at 9:15 p.m., and an hour later, someone called 911.
The affidavit says she was stabbed in the back.
The 78-year-old man who lives there told police he didn't witness the attack but saw an unknown man flee the scene. Desi's friends say she's introduced the 78-year-old as a relative who she was temporarily staying with.
"I just miss her. The fact we're never going to see her ever again. It's tough. She was such a good person. This shouldn't happen to anybody, but especially Desi," said Heather Michels, another friend and former co-worker.
Desi is known around Alexandria for her many years as a server at various restaurants. She was a military veteran, a grandmother and a die-hard Vikings fan.
"She cheered louder than anybody. Very passionate," Michels said.
"We've got well over 300 hours of work and labor put into this," said Alexandria Police Chief Scott Kent.
Chief Kent said his investigators, with the help of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, are conducting a complex investigation.
Search warrants show a number of knives seized from the trailer, orders for DNA testing and a search of cell phones being used in the area.
"This is extremely important. We don't have murders or homicides that happen very often in our small community. However, it's extremely important we finish this the right way," Chief Kent said.
Desi's friends hope the investigation ends with an arrest soon.
"Justice needs to be served for her," Caye said.
Besides the DNA testing, cell phone and social media analysis, police are going through hours of surveillance footage they hope will help them solve the case.
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