ROCHESTER — A 28-year-old Minneapolis woman who has been missing for more than three weeks was found dead near a crop field in Haverhill Township east of Rochester, the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday.
The woman was identified as Tia Arleth. Arleth's mother reported her missing to Rochester police on June 12, and she was last seen in the area May 30.
A man mowing tall grass near the field, near County Road 2 (Viola Road) and 70th Av. NE., found a tarp Friday and reported to police he saw an arm sticking out from under it.
Capt. James Schueller of the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office said in a statement the condition of Arleth's remains made it "extremely difficult" to identify her at first. The Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy Monday, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension used partial fingerprints to identify Arleth on Tuesday.
Schueller said Arleth's location and the condition of her remains is suspicious, and the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office is working with Rochester police to investigate her death. Anyone with information about Arleth is encouraged to contact police.