Hastings death investigation: Victim ID'd, police ask public for help

HASTINGS, Minn. (FOX 9) - Law enforcement officials are asking for the public's help in finding evidence related to the death of a man some believe may have been targeted and killed.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office has officially identified William Michael Eickholt, 74, of Hastings, after he was found dead on the side of the road on Feb. 2. Authorities have called the death suspicious. 

Friends and locals in the area believe Eickholt could have been targeted because he was known to wear women’s clothing.

READ MORE: Hastings' man found dead could have been targeted, friends say

The official cause of death has not yet been released as the autopsy results from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office are still pending.

Police investigation

What they're saying:

Authorities are looking for help in gathering evidence related to the investigation.

The Hastings Police Department said it is asking the public for the following:

• Security camera footage of the areas surrounding 127th Street and Morgan Avenue between Manning Avenue/Highway 61 and St. Croix Trail South between midnight on Saturday, Feb. 1, and 9:50 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2.
• Information on Eickholt's activities leading up to Feb. 1, any information on the Feb. 1 fires on his property or anyone who witnessed a vehicle at or near the property on Jan. 31 or Feb. 1.
• Information from anyone who witnessed a vehicle at or near the 1300 block of Ravenna Trail (10th Street) between midnight on Feb. 1, and 9:50 a.m. on Feb. 2.

Eickholt went missing on Feb. 1 when investigators responded to multiple fires at his property in Denmark Township. 

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Hastings Police Department at 651-480-2300 or the Washington County Sheriff's Office at 651-489-9381. 

Potential motive

The backstory:

The 74-year-old was reported missing on Saturday, Feb. 1, after first responders discovered a suspicious car fire at a Denmark Township property, with evidence that Eickholt had been injured. 

READ MORE: Man found dead in Hastings ditch may be connected to 'suspicious' fire

Hours later, on Sunday morning, a man’s body was found in a nearby ditch in Hastings.

"Whoever did this went right to the first ditch in Hastings they could find and dropped him off on the corner," Eickholt’s friend Mitch Carmody told FOX 9. "Everything was burnt. It was just something nefarious [that] happened."

"We were surprised," local Bex Bender said. "We were shocked it happened."

"People want answers, we want to know what happened," Bender said. "We want justice for a life that was taken. Their life was full of value. Every person in our community is valued."