DNA match leads to woman’s ID nearly 50 years later

A Dodge County woman missing for nearly a half century has been identified through DNA testing.On Feb. 13, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced that the remains of Gloria Rieken of Hayfield were found in a rural Minnesota home. She disappeared in November 1970 when she was 18 years old.Police said Rieken was last seen leaving her apartment in Minneapolis on her way to class at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus.Mille Lacs County Sheriff Don Lorge said the case originally began as a report of a fire at an abandoned home near Milaca. Because the home was abandoned and the blaze was not threatening to spread anywhere, the fire department did not respond at the time.Lorge said a neighbor looking through the debris later discovered what appeared to be human remains. At the time, investigators could only tell they belonged to a young woman who did not die in the fire.The sheriff was assigned the case as an investigator two years ago and requested exhumation of the remains in August 2018—in hopes of discovering some DNA. It proved to be a success.“It’s not the news the family wanted; however, it does give the family answers to they can finally bring Gloria home,” said BCA superintendent Drew Evans.
During a press conference last week, the family of Rieken spoke describing what she was like.
"She went to college aspiring to do well, looking forward to her future and then she was gone," Richard Rieken, Gloria’s brother, said.
He also explained that she was a talented artist, a big fan of Peanuts cartoons and Bob Dylan, and previously campaigned for Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale.
The case would have likely remained a mystery if it hadn’t been for the family coming forward, according to Catherine Knutson, deputy superintendent of Forensic Science Services for the BCA.
“Without her family’s decision to come forward, we would never have been able to identify Gloria Rieken,” said Knutson. “Once again, this speaks to the importance of family members of missing people coming forward to provide DNA samples,” she added.
“It was a big step we made, matching the remains and finding the DNA," Rieken said.
He also explained that his family has always wondered what happened to her and they got their answer.
“My mom and dad and siblings always wondered what happened to Gloria, now we have the answer to that,” Rieken said.
Rieken is the daughter of Peter and Fredrika Rieken. Peter just passed away a few weeks ago before the latest turn of events in Gloria’s disappearance.The public is encouraged to come forward with information about Rieken's disappearance, citing that even the smallest detail could help.  
According to the BCA, currently there are 240 Minnesotans who have been missing more than a year. At any given time there are more than 500 missing Minnesotans.
Anyone with information about Gloria Rieken is encouraged to contact the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office at 320-983-8250, or the BCA at 651-793-7000, 877-996-6222,or via email at bca.coldcase@state.mn.us. Tips can be anonymous.