Yet as the clock struck 8:00 p.m. on June 15, the story twisted. Belinda was last seen at a residence on Little Eagle Lake, near Maple Lake. She was house-sitting for a neighbor, musician Duane Cornwell, while he traveled to Nashville for a recording session. By morning, Belinda was gone without a trace—leaving behind not just her clothing and purse, but a haunting silence still echoing through the decades.
The week began on Monday, June 10, when Belinda arrived to watch Cornwell’s home on the north side of Little Eagle Lake. She planned to stay through Saturday morning, June 15, just in time to attend her sister’s graduation party. Belinda spoke with her father on Thursday and friends on Friday and Saturday. All seemed routine—no signs of distress or hidden concerns.
The Sister’s Graduation
Belinda’s family expected her home by Saturday for the festivities. But repeated phone calls throughout the day yielded no answer; as reported, “the lines were always down.” By early evening, Cornwell returned from Nashville, only to discover the unsettling truth: Belinda was nowhere to be found, though her clothes and purse remained. Disturbed, her family promptly reported her missing.
III. The Empty House: Clues and Confusion
Searching the Woods
Initial signs at the house suggested no obvious struggle. Police and volunteers scoured the surrounding wooded property, scanning for footprints or torn fabric. They found nothing. There was no note from Belinda, no indication she left voluntarily. Some locals later claimed to see her hitchhiking—though such sightings were never confirmed.
The “No Evidence She Ran Away” Claim
Like many 1970s investigations, law enforcement initially questioned whether Belinda might have fled. But as days passed without contact, their skepticism of a runaway scenario deepened. She’d left behind her prized personal items. She had shown excitement about her sister’s graduation party. It felt improbable she’d bolt without explanation.
The Neighbor Next Door: Introducing Timothy Crosby
One hundred yards from the house Belinda was minding stood a quiet cabin inhabited by Timothy Joseph Crosby. At the time, he was Belinda’s age (17 or 18) and rumor suggested that by the early 1970s, Crosby had begun attacking young women in the area. He lived alone—an ominous detail that cast suspicion. The day before Belinda disappeared, she reportedly knocked on Crosby’s door, looking for his sister. Crosby told her the sister wasn’t home, ending the brief interaction. By Sunday morning, Belinda herself was missing.
The Lengthening Shadow of Crosby
Later in 1974, police arrested Crosby for kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old woman. Over time, he racked up multiple arrests for sexual offenses, culminating in his civil commitment as a “violent sexual recidivist.” Crosby also became a suspect in the 1994 disappearance (and subsequent strangulation murder) of another woman. Yet, despite the swirling rumors and his disturbing background, Crosby has never been formally charged in Belinda’s disappearance.
June 15, 1974: The Last Sighting Morning: Belinda planned to wrap up her house-sitting duties. She also intended to head home for her sister’s party.
8:00 a.m.: Some accounts place her still at the Eagle Lake house.
Phone Lines Down: Family members tried calling but got no response.
Evening: Cornwell returned to the property around 6:00 p.m., discovering Belinda was gone. By 8:00 p.m., neighbors told police they last saw Belinda earlier that day.
Post-Disappearance June 16: With no sign of Belinda, her parents reported her missing. Wright County deputies and volunteers scoured the area, but the thick woods and many lakes in the region offered few clues.
The Hitchhiking Rumor: A local youth claimed seeing Belinda hitchhiking on June 17 near Monticello, supposedly accompanied by another teenage girl. This sighting was never verified and the identity of the second girl remains unknown.
Theories in Shadows: Possible Explanations
Crosby’s Involvement Proximity: He lived a mere 100 yards from Belinda’s location.
History of Sexual Violence: By late 1974, Crosby was arrested for kidnapping and raping another woman. He also is suspected in a 1994 strangulation murder.
Conversation with Belinda: She visited him the day before she vanished. He claims he simply told her his sister wasn’t there.
No Charges Filed: Despite the suspicious circumstances, police never found conclusive evidence linking him to Belinda’s disappearance.
A Stranger Encounter Hitchhiker Claims: If Belinda left the lake house alone, she might have encountered a predator while hitching a ride. 1970s Culture: Hitchhiking was more common, albeit risky. Law enforcement can’t confirm any suspect beyond Crosby, leaving open the possibility of an unknown abductor.
Runaway Scenario Family & Police Skepticism: Belinda had no motive to flee. She left behind clothes, a purse, and had been excited about a family event. It seems inconsistent with voluntary disappearance.
Accidental Death Lake Drowning?: Could she have gone swimming and drowned? A thorough search of the shoreline and waters revealed nothing.
Woods: The thick forest around the cabin might hide an accident site, but repeated searches found no remains or trace.
The Investigation Over Time
Early Days 1974: Wright County authorities canvassed neighbors, but leads grew cold. The phone lines had been out of service, fueling confusion. The missing teen rumor circulated but never panned out.
Cold Case Resurgence Multiple Reviews: Over the decades, the sheriff’s office re-opened the file multiple times. Investigators cross-checked remains, in-state and national, with Belinda’s dental records, but no match.
2013 Revival: The case was re-assigned. Lt. Al Lutgens pored over the old notes, digitizing them. He re-interviewed individuals from Belinda’s circle. A lack of new tips stymied progress.
Periodical Media Coverage: Each time a missing or murdered woman turned up in Minnesota, speculation about a possible link to Belinda’s case revived. None stuck.
The Ongoing Search
The caretaker stands watch, year after year, for any sign of Belinda. A missing-person profile remains in the national database, her mother and father’s DNA on file to match any discovered remains. Investigators remain open to fresh leads—and they remain convinced foul play was likely. No single suspect or scenario has been definitively proven, yet many eyes remain on the name “Crosby” for an elusive final answer.Echoes in the Present: Family and Community
Belinda’s parents, especially her mother Beverly, continue to hold out for closure. They’ve endured the heartache of each fruitless tip, each fleeting rumor. In rare media interviews, they recall a normal teen who loved her siblings, eager for a routine family party. They lament that so many decades have passed with no direct evidence of her fate. Some in her circle wonder if she met the same end as other women possibly linked to Timothy Crosby.
At Monticello High School reunions, an empty seat remains in the class rosters for Belinda. Old friends compare rumors, hoping one day a phone call or a chance discovery of remains in a wooded lot might give them peace.
The Suspect in Focus: Timothy Joseph Crosby
The 1970s Attacks
By the time Belinda vanished, rumors swirl that Crosby was already preying on young women. Kidnapping and rape charges in late 1974 confirm his predatory patterns. He was also rumored to have attacked teenage girls prior to that. Today, he is civilly committed as a violent sex offender.
The 1994 Strangulation Mystery
In 1991, Crosby was eyed as a suspect in the murder of another woman, whose remains turned up with signs of strangulation. Investigators found no conclusive evidence to charge him then either. But the shadow persists, fueling suspicion that he had escalated from one victim to the next.
No Justice, No Charges
Despite the swirl of speculation, Crosby remains uncharged in Belinda’s case. He has given no public statements that lead to her whereabouts.
Twists, Suspense, and Intensity
Imagine a summer dawn shimmering off Little Eagle Lake. A vacant house, breezes ruffling the curtains. Belinda’s footprints might trace from the porch to the yard, dissolving into dew-laden grass. A quiet cabin sits 100 yards away—wind singing through old pines. A man peers from behind a window, a passing glint in his eye. By next sunrise, Belinda’s presence is an echo. The hush weighs on the heart, reminiscent of a slasher film’s final fade to black, but without a conclusive ending or credit roll.
Through the decades, each potential lead or rumor stirs the same tension as a jump scare: Could the found remains or a suspect’s belated confession finally solve it all? Then it fizzles, leaving watchers on edge, awaiting the next adrenaline jolt. The tension never fully abates because the story lacks resolution. The “monster,” if it is Crosby, remains unpunished for this potential crime; the final scene never clarifies if the worst fiend was the suspect next door or a mysterious drifter. The audience—her family, the entire community—sits with that indefinite dread.
A Final Plea: Seeking Closure
Belinda’s disappearance remains an enduring question mark in Wright County. Year after year, her case stands as an open file. Lt. Lutgens and new detectives carry the torch, reviewing evidence, hoping for a single shard that cracks the puzzle. As time marches on, the chance of finding living witnesses shrinks, but investigators won’t give up. For them, it’s more than a job—it’s a duty to Belinda’s memory, to ensure that if the truth can be found, it will be.
If you have any knowledge of Belinda’s last hours—be it a casual conversation, an old recollection from that early summer day, or a rumor about a suspicious car or boat near the lake—contact the Wright County Sheriff’s Office at (763) 682-1161. Even decades-late, a single voice might rewrite the final chapter of Belinda’s story.
Under the Minnesota sun, Little Eagle Lake still gleams as lapping waves kiss the shore. The cabin near that old property stands a silent witness to a day that changed a family forever. Belinda’s mother once stated she just wanted to bring her daughter home—for a proper goodbye if nothing else. That heartbreak endures, unsoftened by time’s passing. Like the suspenseful final shot of a “Scream” film, the camera lingers on a deserted lakeside, where the breeze stirs the pines and secrets remain buried, waiting for someone to push aside the shadows and speak up.
To this day, the name Belinda Kay VanLith is etched into missing-person bulletins, her face aging only in loved ones’ memories. She never made it to her sister’s graduation party, never grew past 17, never got a chance at the life she deserved. Meanwhile, the tale stands as a reminder: sometimes the scariest “monsters” are the ones just beyond the porch light, separated by a mere 100 yards—and the greatest mysteries are the ones that end without an ending.
No comments:
Post a Comment