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Secluded Wooded Area Search Leads to Murder Charge

**Google Search Clue Leads to Body, Murder Charge Filed in Amanda Vangrinsven Case**

SCOTT COUNTY, MN – A four-month investigation into the disappearance of Mankato resident Amanda Jo Vangrinsven has culminated in a second-degree murder charge against Richard Melvin Thomas, 40, after authorities reportedly used his own Google search history to locate Vangrinsven’s body. The 32-year-old woman’s remains were discovered last week in a secluded wooded area in Elko New Market, a location that aligned with Thomas’s past online searches.

Thomas was formally charged with second-degree murder on December 1 and is scheduled for his first court appearance on December 4 in Scott County District Court.

Vangrinsven was last seen on the evening of June 25, leaving a bar in Mankato with Thomas. Her family, concerned after she did not return home, reported her missing the following day, June 26, sparking an extensive search.

Investigators’ breakthrough came after obtaining a search warrant for Thomas’s Google account on July 27. This forensic examination revealed a critical search query made by Thomas on August 1: “secluded wooded area.”

Following this discovery, law enforcement intensified their focus on areas matching the search criteria. On November 29, Vangrinsven’s body was ultimately located in a wooded patch near the 200 block of Elko Boulevard Northwest in Elko New Market, a Scott County suburb approximately 45 miles northeast of Mankato. This location closely matched the geographic area Thomas had reportedly searched for online.

Further evidence supporting the charges against Thomas includes cell phone tower data, which placed his phone in the Elko New Market area on June 26, the day Vangrinsven was reported missing. Surveillance footage also captured Thomas’s vehicle near the wooded site where Vangrinsven’s remains were eventually found.

During initial questioning, Thomas had told police that he dropped Vangrinsven off at a relative’s house in south Minneapolis, a claim that was later disproven by the ongoing investigation.

Second-degree murder in Minnesota typically involves an intent to cause the death of another person but without premeditation, or committing a felony crime that results in death.

The discovery brings a tragic end to the search for Amanda Jo Vangrinsven and provides initial answers to her grieving family and community. Thomas remains in custody, presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Authorities have not yet released details regarding the manner or cause of Vangrinsven’s death. The investigation remains ongoing.

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