Arrest Made, Body of Jontae Lee Found Months After Disappearance

Brooklyn Park police have announced a major break in the missing person case of Jontae Lee months after the 27-year-old disappeared. 

Police said late Thursday that Lee’s body was positively identified by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner after a discovery this week by a police canine in a drainage pond.

Brooklyn Park police also announced the arrest of a 22-year-old suspect, who police identified as a friend of Lee’s.

“The Brooklyn Park Police Department worked tirelessly on this case to locate Jontae Lee and to ensure that the person responsible for his death is held accountable,” said a statement released by police. “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Jontae during their time of loss and sorrow.”

Lee was last seen on March 10 and reported missing the following morning. Police said they responded to a disturbance call shortly after midnight on March 11 near the intersection of 70th and Maryland avenues north where the suspect and Lee “had been in a disagreement” and Lee had left the scene on foot. The suspect had remained at the scene, police said.

Police said Lee was not located at that time, as a drone could not be utilized due to snowy weather. A missing person alert was then issued for Lee when he did not return home.

Photo of Jontae Lee/provided by family

Extensive Investigation

According to Brooklyn Park police, an investigation started quickly as detectives retrieved video from nearby businesses and spoke to family and friends.

Over the course of two months, police said they searched the area where Lee could have gone missing by foot, in the air and in water using waterproof drones. Police said they also deployed multiple canine units in their search and executed several search warrants for cell phone and social media data.

Police said Lee’s body was found on Tuesday afternoon, more than two months after the search began, in a drainage pond in the 6900 block of Lakeland Ave. N. The discovery was made with the help of agents from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which deployed a specialized electronics-sniffing canine.

On Thursday, two days after Lee’s body was found, police arrested a suspect, a 22-year-old friend of Lee’s. The suspect is being held for probable cause murder.

CCX News generally does not name suspects until formal charges have been filed.

Jontae Lee Kind of Person Who ‘Lights Up Every Room’

In a GoFundMe post, Jontae’s brother, Kamarri Lee, said Jontae “has a way of bringing positive energy wherever he goes—he’s the kind of person who lights up every room just by being in it.”

His brother described Jontae as passionate about music, art, reading and nature.

“Our family misses him more than words can explain,” Lee’s brother wrote. “Every day without him has been extremely painful.”

Brooklyn Park