Minnesota woman found after abduction at Hot Springs

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A Hancock, Minn., woman, who went missing Sunday near Hot Springs, has been found.

Connie Beyer, 58, walked back into a South Dakota truck stop Monday morning after being missing for 24 hours.

Fall River County Sheriff Rich Mraz reported late Sunday afternoon that Beyer and her husband Lanny, 59, had stopped at the Coffee Cup for fuel at about 4 a.m. on Sunday.

The couple had driven the truck together for several years.

Connie left her purse in the truck and headed toward the truck stop.

On Sunday afternoon, teams of approximately 30 fire fighters, including two dogs, combed the area, but turned up no sign of Beyer.

About 9 a.m. Monday morning, Beyer walked back into the truck stop.

According to family members, Beyer was abducted outside the Coffee Cup and taken into nearby hills, where she was robbed and thrown into a ravine. After managing to get out of the ravine and fighting freezing temperatures, Beyer walked back toward the roadway and the truck stop. At one point on Sunday afternoon, she heard the search planes, but was unable to get into a location where she could be seen.

Beyer was taken to Fall River Hospital and transferred to Rapid City, where she was treated for dehydration.

Agencies that assisted in this search were the Fall River Sheriff’s Office, the Hot Springs Volunteer Fire Department, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.

Anyone having information on the circumstances surrounding Beyer’s disappearance are asked to call the Fall River County sheriff’s department at (605) 745-4444.

Tags: hot springs, news, updates, crime, abduction, kidnapping