MANKATO, Minn. — A popular and vital Mankato-area senior is dead of injuries suffered during a break-in and assault at her home, and now authorities in Blue Earth County are asking for help in catching those responsible.
Dispatchers received a 911 call from a neighbor of 76-year old Evelyn Adams just after 10:50 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, describing one or two suspicious people at Adams' South Bend Township home. At 11:15 p.m. Adams herself called 911 to report that she had been assaulted after a break-in. Deputies arrived at the scene eight minutes later, and Adams was transported to a local hospital.
On Feb. 28 she died of injuries suffered during the assault.
Blue Earth County Sheriff's Captain Paul Barta briefed reporters gathered in Mankato Thursday to bring them up to date on the Adams case, and make a public plea to anyone who can help bring those responsible to justice.
"There are people out there who know what happened that night... we want those people to come forward," Barta told reporters. "We do want information... factual information," he explained, making it clear investigators are not interested in speculation or unfounded theories.
Barta says more than 50 people have been interviewed since Adams' death, and indicated that "persons of interest" have been identified, but no arrests have been made. Complicating the investigation is that on the night of the break-in and beating, a fierce blizzard was blowing through the Mankato area with heavy snow and howling winds. Law enforcement response was slowed by the conditions, and any tracks or other evidence left by the suspects was quickly wiped out.
The snow also made witness identification of a suspect vehicle seen leaving the neighborhood rather vague. At first it was described as a car, but now Barta says it could be an SUV.
Friends of Adams say she was actively involved in her community, volunteering for more than 30 years with Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, a business which also does community service work.
"She was just good people, salt of the earth," said Jim Karstens, a friend who works at Modern Woodmen. "A lot of people miss her. The community will miss her."
The pastor at Belgrade Avenue United Methodist Church, where Adams attended services, says she also volunteered in the church's nursery.
"(She) would always come up to me Sunday morning and give me a hug," said Dan Horn, the church pastor.
Horn and Karstens say they aren't sure why anyone would want to hurt Adams.
"The tragedy of this whole scenario is that it doesn't make sense. This is a woman that wouldn't harm anyone," Horn said. "For someone to come into her home is just strangely bizarre."
Agents from the BCA are assisting Blue Earth County in what is now a murder investigation. Anyone with information on the death of Evelyn Adams or who may be responsible is asked to call 507-304-4863.
