The case was initially treated as a runaway situation, and the girls were portrayed as troubled teens, which likely deterred public concern and media coverage.
An informant came forward claiming that April and Rose were together when they disappeared and that a suspect, believed to be their killer, had buried their bodies in Wadena, Minnesota.
They met through a mutual friend, Angela, who introduced them. April was dating a guy whose roommate was dating one of Rose's friends.
The families were often told that the girls were likely just out with friends and would return, leading to delays in reporting them missing officially.
The informant claimed to have witnessed the murder of April and Rose and helped bury their bodies. He came forward in exchange for help removing his girlfriend from the suspect's influence.
It was at this festival that April, Rose, and Angela met three men, including the suspect John, who later became key figures in the investigation.
Angela felt responsible because she introduced them, and she believed that if she hadn't, the girls might not have disappeared.
April and Walter had an on-again, off-again relationship. Walter was suspected of having April's belongings and burning them, which added complexity to the investigation.
The informant, Kip, claimed that his friend John had murdered April and Rose and that he helped bury their bodies in Wadena, Minnesota.
Despite extensive searches in Wadena, no bodies were found, though some of their belongings were recovered from a burn pit.
The summer of 1998 was coming to a close when two young women disappeared from the St. Cloud area of Minnesota. April Geyer was 21 years old, and Roseanna Forcum was just 15. April and Rose had only recently become acquainted. Although they ran in the same social circle, it wasn’t immediately clear that the girls had vanished together. At that time, we were approaching the end of an era when most people didn’t own cell phones. You had to wait until you reached your destination or found a pay phone to call home and inform your parents about your plans and when you would return. As April and Rose’s families independently searched for them, they eventually realized they weren’t alone.
Two years later, an informant came forward with information indicating that April and Rose were together when they disappeared, even identifying a suspect believed to be their killer. Despite extensive searches, April and Rose were never found. Now, twenty-six years later, their families are determined to bring their stories back into the light, hoping to finally uncover the truth.
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