ROCHESTER – The Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner's Office says it's uncertain how a Rochester man whose body was found behind Byron City Hall died earlier this year.
'Undetermined' cause of death for man found in pond behind Byron City Hall in southern Minn.
Wade Gordon Jr. was reported missing for more than a week.
October 9, 2023 at 9:25PM
An autopsy report released Monday for Wade Gordon Jr. shows Gordon's cause of death was "undetermined" due to the state of his decomposed remains. Gordon was found in a retention pond behind City Hall on July 17, more than a week after he was last seen.
Gordon, 39, was last seen leaving his job at Ornua Ingredients in Byron about 2 a.m. July 7. His SUV was left outside his work.
Gordon was reported missing July 8. At the time, relatives insisted it wasn't normal for him to disappear.
Olmsted County sheriff's deputies discovered Gordon's body around noon in the pond behind Byron City Hall, about 2½ miles from Ornua, which formulates cheese for food manufacturers.
A nearby resident reported hearing suspicious noises on the night of July 7 before the body's discovery. Olmsted County deputies, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and officials from the Regional Medical Examiner's Office responded to the scene.
The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office is investigating Gordon's death. Deputies could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
Austin nonprofits are teaming up with Hormel to improve food access and create a blueprint for other communities.
