Authorities ID Bemidji woman killed in Cass County crash, driver arrested for DWI | FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
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Authorities ID Bemidji woman killed in Cass County crash, driver arrested for DWI

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Published  March 18, 2025 11:43am CDT
Road incidents
FOX 9

The Brief

    • A 22-year-old Bemidji woman who was killed in a rollover crash near Walker has been identified as Mikayla Butcher.
    • The driver, 23-year-old Pernell Reese, was arrested on Monday and charged with DWI.
    • Authorities say alcohol and speed were factors in the crash.

WALKER, Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities have identified a 22-year-old Bemidji woman killed in a crash near Walker Saturday night, and the suspected 23-year-old driver is in custody.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as Mikayla Butcher. The driver has been identified by authorities as Pernell Reese of Walker.

The crash

The backstory:

Authorities received a report of a rollover crash just after 7 p.m. Saturday on County Road 13 near Stony Point Camp Road in Turtle Lake Township, near Walker. At the scene, sheriff’s deputies and first responders found a 2007 Dodge Nitro that had left the roadway and rolled into the ditch.

Butcher was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities say alcohol and speed were suspected to be factors in the crash.

Reese charged

What we don't know:

Reese was taken into custody by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office just after 10 a.m. Monday and has been charged with DWI (Operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of .08). Authorities say it was also a probation violation.

The crash remains under investigation.

Road incidentsMinnesotaCrime and Public Safety