A year after finding a man dead in a Hastings ditch, authorities release more information in hopes of new leads

Exactly a year after a 74-year-old man was found dead in a Hastings, Minnesota, ditch, authorities are offering a reward of up to $1,000 for a tip that leads to a conviction in his killing.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office says William "Ike" Eickholt was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head near Ravenna Trail in Hastings on Feb. 2, 2025, about five miles from his Denmark Township home.

According to the sheriff's office, Eickholt was last seen on Jan. 31, 2025, at a gas station in Hastings. Detective Cooper Valesano says Eickholt showed no signs of distress at the time.

A missing person alert went out for Eickholt on Feb. 1, 2025, after authorities found two vehicles that usually sit on Eickholt's property engulfed in flames. Investigators say he had been living out of one of those vehicles since his house burned down in the summer of 2024.

Deputy Shane Thorston says while he was responding to the fire, he found "four big pools of blood at the end of the driveway," and knew they weren't from a minor injury.

Eickholt was found the next day in an area that is "very frequently traveled ... at all times of the day," according to detective Chad Schlichte.

"I think that somebody out there could have seen something," Schlichte said. "It's very uncommon for this area."

Eickholt's family described him as a trusting, free-spirited person who would "not cause harm to anyone."

"Someone saw Ike that night. Someone knows how he got to Ravenna Trail in Hastings from his driveway," Valesano said. "He was a human being; he had a family and friends; he had routines, interests and a life. The community deserves answers."

Anyone with information about Eickholt's death is asked to contact the Washington County Sheriff's Office at  651-430-7850 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Minnesota.