Christopher Kerze

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Eagan Police Department (MN)

Missing From:

Eagan, Minnesota

Summary:

Christopher Matthew Kerze disappeared on April 20, 1990, from Eagan, Minnesota, at age 17. He was an academically distinguished National Honor Society member and National Merit Scholar semi-finalist. A letter received from Duluth the next day stated he intended to end his life. His abandoned vehicle was found two days after his disappearance. He remains missing.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On April 20, 1990, Kerze stayed home from school indicating he was sick. The family van was missing when his parents returned home later that day. They found a note from Kerze stating that although something important had come up he would be back by 6 p.m. unless he got lost—which was unusual, as the word 'lost' was underlined twice on the note. Chris stayed home sick from school and left home taking the family van, a blue Dodge Caravan, and his father's 1954 to 1956 model Mossberg 20-gauge bolt-action shotgun with a three-shell clip. The van was located abandoned two days later on April 22, 1990, near Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The Dodge Caravan was found two days later, abandoned along Minnesota 38 in Itasca County, about 20 miles north of Grand Rapids, MN. An extensive search of the area found no indication of Christopher.

Additional Details:

The family received a letter from Duluth, Minnesota, on April 21, 1990, saying that Kerze had lied about being sick in order to gain usage of the van and go 'to not even I know where.' The note further stated that he intended to end his life and apologized for this to his loved ones. Kerze had a O.F. Mossberg & Sons 20-gauge shotgun with him, although he had not taken any ammunition. A week after Christopher's disappearance, his parents began receiving a series of strange phone calls. New age-progressed photos of Kerze were created and missing persons posters were distributed with those photos. The family also gave media interviews regarding the case. There wasn't caller ID at the time, so neither the family nor the police department knew for sure where they were coming from. About six months later, the phone calls stopped. Kerze was featured in the 1993 music video for Soul Asylum's hit song "Runaway Train." In 2004, the Eagan Police Department got an anonymous letter postmarked Seattle, Washington that asked them to stop looking for Christopher. The letter writer said Christopher was a "guardian angel" and that he would return home when he was ready. Police eventually concluded the letter was a hoax. In 2025, Eagan Police Detective Angela Casey, leader of Kerze's missing person investigation, said about the case, "There have been a lot of searches [...] we're committed to our community; it shows the message we don't give up easily." Police believe it's likely he took his own life and that his body has not been found yet.

Case Last Updated:

Sep 30, 2026