Minn. college student's disappearance drags on; car found, person who was with her is talking to investigators

A car that a missing Minnesota college student rode in the night of her disappearance nearly two weeks ago has been located, and the person who was driving it is speaking with investigators.

Despite ground and air searches, Laura Ann Schwendemann, 18, a freshman at University of Minnesota, Morris, has been missing since she was last seen on the night of Oct. 14 in Alexandria.

Schwendemann, who has lived in Hancock and Starbuck, Minn., was observed about 9:30 p.m. at a Holiday gas station on 50th Avenue with "a male subject known to her," according to a statement from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

Schwendemann and the male left in a car with a loud exhaust and "investigators believe they traveled to unknown locations" throughout southern Douglas County and northern Pope County that night and into the next morning, the Sheriff's Office statement continued.

The car has been located and the male with her has been speaking with investigators, but authorities have not revealed his name or said what role he may have had in Schwendemann's disappearance, if any.

Investigators have said they do not believe Schwendemann "left voluntarily."

"We are working the case under the assumption that she is not deceased," Sheriff Troy Wolbersen told the Echo Press in Alexandria. "Our hopes are that we can safely return her to her family. … We do not think she is hiding."

Authorities said they are particularly interested in hearing from citizens who may have seen the car, a black 1997 Geo Prism, between 9:30 p.m. Oct. 14 and 10:30 the next morning.

Also, investigators want help locating a home that the car is believed to have traveled past. It's described as blue with a 3-foot-tall statue of a boy, with blue clothing and a red hat, positioned at the end of the home's driveway.

Schwendemann is described as white, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 125 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Douglas County Sheriff's Office at 1-320-762-8151 or the Pope County Sheriff's Office at 1-320-634-5411.

A vigil was being planned for Sunday in Starbuck.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482