Woman whose body was pulled from river is identified

Friends said Rachel A. Dow, 29, was well-read, smart and caring. Her death is under investigation.

By CHAO XIONG, Star Tribune

Last update: January 13, 2008 - 10:52 PM

It was normal for Rachel A. Dow to power her way to the Mississippi River on her bicycle for some alone time, mulling over thoughts to the water's murmur.

Friends knew the 29-year-old University of Minnesota student to be independent and adventurous. They also knew she frequented her thinking spot down by the river at night.

But when she didn't come home overnight Friday, they knew something wasn't right, and a search party was formed. Her bike was found Saturday near the river at 38th Street and West River Road, near a hole in the ice. Soon after, Dow's body was pulled from the water as friends stood nearby.

"Rachel was a very wonderful person," her friend and co-worker Brian Rose said Sunday. "She's the kind of person that could do anything. She was very well-read, very smart, very confident."

Minneapolis police spokesman Sgt. Jesse Garcia said it's too early to say how Dow died or whether foul play was involved. The cause and manner of death remain under investigation, according to a Hennepin County medical examiner's report released Sunday.

Dow's longtime friend and co-worker, Jon Provenzano, said many of her friends believe it was an accident. About 150 of them gathered in a private room at Chiang Mai Thai restaurant in Uptown, where Dow worked for eight years as a bartender and server, to grieve Saturday night.

"She's one of the best employees this restaurant has ever had," said Provenzano, a restaurant manager. "She could read people really well and a lot of the times know what they might want before they wanted it. She had a knack for taking care of people.

"She really did want to make a difference," he said.

Dow hailed from Montana but had been living in the Twin Cities for several years, friends said. She studied women's issues at the University of Minnesota and hoped to become a high school teacher, Rose said. She did not have family in Minnesota, he said, and funeral arrangements are pending.

Dow became well-known in the cycling community, which galvanized in her search, posting blog entries and pictures of Dow. She also worked at Cars-R-Coffins Coffee in south Minneapolis, blocks from where she lived.

Dow was last seen about 1:15 a.m. Friday at the Uptown Bar and Cafe, said Rose, who did not want to talk about what could have lead to Dow's death until the investigation was complete.

Garcia said it's unknown whether alcohol could have played a role.

"It's hard to say," Rose said. "That's an ugly thing to think about. I've never seen Rachel make bad decisions because she's been drinking. That would be out of character."

Friends described her instead as outgoing and friendly, with a penchant for remembering people's faces and names.

She planned to travel. Thailand was on her list for this summer.

"She was just a really good person," Rose said. "Just a very genuine person."

Her popularity was evident at Chiang Mai Thai, where the phone rang every few minutes Sunday with callers asking about her.

"Everyone is numb," Provenzano said before choking up. "Everyone expects her to pull up on her bike."

Chao Xiong • 612-673-4391

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