40 years since unsolved murder of 81-year-old Myrtle Cole
Myrtle Cole was found dead inside her home in the small town of Fairhaven, Minnesota on Dec. 12, 1981.
FAIRHAVEN, Minn. (FOX 9) - It has been 40 years since the unsolved murder of Myrtle Vera Cole, an 81-year-old widow who lived alone in her home in Fairhaven, Minnesota, in southeastern Stearns County.
Myrtle was found by her nephew who forced his way into her home on the morning of December 12, 1981, after phone calls went unanswered that morning. Myrtle had been brutally attacked in her bedroom. Her cause of death was determined to be homicidal violence.
Myrtle was well-known in the town of Fairhaven, which at the time had a population of 100 people. The town had a small tavern, a grocery store, a church and a city hall. She lived by herself after her husband had passed away several years earlier.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was originally assisted in this investigation by the Minnesota State Patrol, Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Tri-County Major Crime Unit which included numerous law enforcement personnel from agencies in the surrounding area.
The investigation into Myrtle Cole’s murder remains open and active. If you know anything about this case, please contact the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at 320-259-3702.