MN MN - Vickie Arleen Sundgaard, 23, Alexandria, 19 Apr 1987

[Skabamm]

This case bothers me a lot.

I grew up in the area and I was a child when this occurred I don’t recall hearing anything. I also don’t recall hearing about it as a teen.

My experience in the area is a lot of people knew a lot of peoples business. This subject being more or less being shut down while unsolved is out of the ordinary to me.

When Jody went missing we discussed it, clearly Jacob was a huge deal. Why not Vicki?

I was the same age as Jacob when he was kidnapped & I remember vividly the attention brought to his disappearance. I was 9 when Vicky disappeared and only heard about it through people who knew the family, then once her boys started going to my school.

I was born & raised in Alexandria. I grew up extremely privileged, on par with the same advantages as the Wetterlings. (who lived about 45 minutes from Alex.) I met the Sungaard boys at a parochial school, after they were living with their grandparents full time.

As someone who knew the Wetterlings (thru friends) and the Sungaards (thru Vicki's boys & parents), I believe Vicki's disappearance did not receive the same attention as Jacob's for a few reasons:

1) age - Vicki was 23, Jacob was 11 - as we know, cases involving minors are reported on more by mainstream media
2) circumstances - Vicki was last seen with people she knew, while Jacob was abducted/kidnapped by a stranger
3) socioeconomics - as unfortunate as it is, cases involving individuals who came from fewer economic resources rarely garnish the same attention as those coming from wealthier backgrounds. It disgusts me that this dichotomy exists but it would be foolish to dismiss this reality. The Wetterlings were (still very much are) financially in a completely different "class" than the Sungaards.
4) investigative agencies - from what I understand, no one outside of the Alexandria Police Dept & the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, has investigated Vicky's disappearance (besides, perhaps privately-funded organizations or private individuals). Wetterling's disappearance as a minor, with witnesses to a stranger-abduction, received immediate assistance from the FBI, as well as other State of MN resources.

IMO

 

[Richard]

35 years missing...


Vicki Sundgaard, age 23
Missing since 19 April 1987

 

[AlAnn]

I was the same age as Jacob when he was kidnapped & I remember vividly the attention brought to his disappearance. I was 9 when Vicky disappeared and only heard about it through people who knew the family, then once her boys started going to my school.

I was born & raised in Alexandria. I grew up extremely privileged, on par with the same advantages as the Wetterlings. (who lived about 45 minutes from Alex.) I met the Sungaard boys at a parochial school, after they were living with their grandparents full time.

As someone who knew the Wetterlings (thru friends) and the Sungaards (thru Vicki's boys & parents), I believe Vicki's disappearance did not receive the same attention as Jacob's for a few reasons:

1) age - Vicki was 23, Jacob was 11 - as we know, cases involving minors are reported on more by mainstream media
2) circumstances - Vicki was last seen with people she knew, while Jacob was abducted/kidnapped by a stranger
3) socioeconomics - as unfortunate as it is, cases involving individuals who came from fewer economic resources rarely garnish the same attention as those coming from wealthier backgrounds. It disgusts me that this dichotomy exists but it would be foolish to dismiss this reality. The Wetterlings were (still very much are) financially in a completely different "class" than the Sungaards.
4) investigative agencies - from what I understand, no one outside of the Alexandria Police Dept & the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, has investigated Vicky's disappearance (besides, perhaps privately-funded organizations or private individuals). Wetterling's disappearance as a minor, with witnesses to a stranger-abduction, received immediate assistance from the FBI, as well as other State of MN resources.

IMO

So because Vicki is still missing, is this considered an open case where we can't get any old police reports? I've never requested anything like that before but to see what was done back then would be priceless.
I have so many questions - like which house on Cedar was it? Who was all at the party and what did they say? Did she and this Michael Dale Benson leave about the same time? What car did he have and where was he staying? What did the husband say about that night? Were cadaver dogs brought in to smell around that farm and the pig stalls? Why was he ruled out so quickly?

 

[theshadow45]

Vicki has been missing for 36 years today.

 

[theshadow45]

Today is Vicki’s birthday.

 

[carmul]

This case keeps popping into the back of my mind. I’m from the Alex area and feel like something was either missed or ignored. It just bothers me…

Were the kids raised by her husbands parents or hers?

Her husband's parents raised the children, who were my nephews.

 

[carmul]

Today is Vicki’s birthday.

Thank you for remembering Vicki's BD. She was my sister-in-law.

 

[carmul]

Thank you all for keeping Vicki's memory alive. She was my sister-in-law and I knew her very well.

The Sundgaard family didn't know anything about Michael Dale Benson until 2006 after he escaped from a prison in St. Peter. He was sentenced after violently raping a woman in the same county.

I remember getting a call from a news person shortly after Benson was featured on America's Most Wanted, and they questioned me about Vicki. I gasped because that was the first time he was ever mentioned. He was at the party Vicki was at and was heard talking about her.

I truly believe he was involved with her disappearance. Her husband was a suspect, but he didn't do it. Benson knows where she is.

Many on this forum have asked why nothing seemed to have been done and why her case didn't get the attention it deserved. I feel it's because they were poor and she was part Native American. It's still very upsetting all these years later.

Thanks again for remembering Vicki.

 

[Richard]

Vickie Arleen Sundgaard, 23
Missing since 19 April 1987

LINK:

1957DFMN - Vicky Arleen Sundgaard

 

[Richard]

Vickie Sundgaard has been missing for 37 years since 19 April 1987.

 

[theshadow45]

Vicki has been missing for 37 years today.

 

[theshadow45]

Bumping, today is Vicki’s birthday.

 

[Richard]

This unsolved case is over 37 years old.

 

[theshadow45]

Vicki has been missing for 38 years today.

 

[theshadow45]

Today is Vicki’s birthday.

 

[AlAnn]

So I pick any local's brain when I go somewhere and we start talking about local stories or rumors from years past. This is in Alexandria, MN (Douglas County). The first thing I heard was that the ex-husband had pigs and was angry about the divorce and fed her to the pigs so no remains were left. Sounds rather cliche.
But then I met a guy who worked at the local dump/junk yard/transfer station north of Alexandria. He worked there for many years. The sheriff's office came and spoke to him as Michael Dale Benson used to work at the dump at the same time Vicki went missing. The dump is obviously pretty large, lots of garbage moved and burnt and decomposed. So if Benson wanted to bury her body deep in the dump, there is not much hope in finding her after all these years.

According to MN Courts public records - Michael Dale Benson 7/15/63
1/16/1988 in Douglas Co - 3rd degree criminal damage to property/theft/possess stolen property
4/25/1989 in Douglas Co - 1st degree criminal sexual conduct - raped a woman (felony)
(supposedly acknowledged having committed at least five sexual assualts in CO and CA besides the offense to which he plead guilty - served 43 months in jail)
2/16/1993 in Douglas Co - Commitment - sexual psychopathic person
(Took into custody at the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter where he was civilly committed as a "sexual psychopathic personality")
4/15/2006 in Nicollet Co - 1st, 2nd, 3rd degree burglaries, theft, damage to prop, escape from custody (broke out on 4/15, stole a car and was apprehended in Missouri on 5/2)

Benson constantly appeals to try to get out. On Google I found a document filed 7/1/2003 and it said this about his past:
The original commitment order stated he's a "very dangerous, patterned, power rapist" who presents a "classic history of progressively excalating compulsive sexual behavior." Also "unable to control his impulses with regard to sexual matters". Benson was also "formally disagnosed with mixed substance abuse and mixed personality trait disturbance".

I'll keep asking questions.