Authorities say the death of 14-year-old McKenna Wendel, who was found March 19 in a drainage creek in Brookings County, South Dakota, is being investigated as suspicious. McKenna was last seen in Sioux Falls March 13–14 and was reported missing March 15. Investigators say evidence suggests she and others traveled across Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota and that she was transported by vehicle to the location where her body was found. The probe spans multiple jurisdictions and involves the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office; the family has set up a verified GoFundMe for funeral costs.
Police Say Death Of Missing 14-Year-Old McKenna Wendel Is Being Treated As Suspicious
McKenna Wendel.Credit: Sioux Falls Police Department/Facebook; GoFundMe
Authorities investigating the death of 14-year-old McKenna Wendel say they are treating the case as suspicious after her body was recovered last month in a drainage creek in Brookings County, South Dakota.
Timeline And Discovery
McKenna was last seen in Sioux Falls between the late evening of March 13 and the early morning of March 14 and was reported missing on March 15. Following a multi-day search, officers located her body on March 19 in a drainage creek on private property in Brookings, S.D.
Investigation Details
At a March 23 press briefing, a Sioux Falls Police captain said investigators believe McKenna died under “suspicious circumstances.” Officials said evidence indicates McKenna and "others" may have traveled to multiple locations across Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota before her body was found. Investigators also said McKenna had been "transported in a vehicle" to the site where her body was located; authorities have not disclosed whether she was alive or deceased at the time of transport.
McKenna Wendel played basketball and volleyball.Credit: GoFundMe
Law enforcement officials said they were led to the location by information from a private citizen and another person with knowledge of the situation. The case is being handled as a multi-jurisdictional investigation, with local police working alongside the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office. A family member arrested on unrelated DUI charges has been ruled not connected to this investigation so far, and McKenna’s family has cooperated with authorities.
Remembering McKenna
McKenna, an eighth grader, is being remembered by family, friends and teachers as a bright, curious child who loved animals and the outdoors. Colleagues and relatives recalled her keeping a cricket habitat at school, caring for hermit crabs and eagerly collecting frogs after rain. At her funeral, teacher Brigid Berger said,
"My clearest memories are the way she was able to make the people around her feel special and feel seen."
Community Response And Next Steps
The family has established a verified GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses; a second unverified fundraiser has appeared online, and GoFundMe says it is working to direct any funds from that page to McKenna’s family. Investigators continue to await a formal ruling from the coroner on cause and manner of death. Officials are urging anyone with information to contact Sioux City police or the appropriate local authorities.
Note: Out of respect for the family and the ongoing investigation, many operational details remain withheld by investigators.
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