Terry Lee McCoy, a 68-year-old man from Wheaton, Minnesota, disappeared from his home on June 17, 2020, and was found dead 19 days later in the Mustinka River with a gunshot wound to the back of his head.1Inforum. 19 Days After He Went Missing, Terry McCoy Was Found in a River With a Gunshot Wound in the Back of His Head Nearly six years later, no one has been arrested or charged, and no suspect has been publicly named.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Terry McCoy Unsolved Case Profile
What the Buyers Found at the House
McCoy was last seen at his roughly 40-acre property around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2020.3Valley News Live. Homicide Investigation He was in the process of selling the home and moving to assisted living, and the sale was scheduled to close two days after he vanished.4KARE 11. Body Found Miles From Home of Missing Man in Rural Minnesota
When the prospective buyers arrived on June 18, they found a rocking chair that had been broken apart and drops of blood nearby.1Inforum. 19 Days After He Went Missing, Terry McCoy Was Found in a River With a Gunshot Wound in the Back of His Head McCoy’s cell phone, wallet, identification, medications, shoes, and the leg brace he needed to walk were still inside. No vehicles were missing from the property.5CBS News Minnesota. Sheriff: Help Sought Finding Terry McCoy, 68, From Wheaton The buyers called the Traverse County Sheriff’s Office that day.
How the Body Was Found
On July 6, 2020, McCoy’s body was found floating in the Mustinka River in Traverse County, between about seven and twenty miles from his home.4KARE 11. Body Found Miles From Home of Missing Man in Rural Minnesota He was naked and had been weighed down with a 150-pound chain, but had still surfaced.1Inforum. 19 Days After He Went Missing, Terry McCoy Was Found in a River With a Gunshot Wound in the Back of His Head
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the remains on July 9, 2020, and ruled the death a homicide.3Valley News Live. Homicide Investigation The autopsy found the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Three days after the body surfaced, the sheriff’s office reclassified the case from a missing person investigation to a homicide.
Why the Investigation Stalled Early
Despite the blood and broken furniture inside the home, the Traverse County Sheriff’s Office at first treated the case as a missing person investigation. Deputies initially theorized that McCoy may have fallen, struck his head, and wandered off in a disoriented state.1Inforum. 19 Days After He Went Missing, Terry McCoy Was Found in a River With a Gunshot Wound in the Back of His Head The home was not initially processed as a crime scene.
Family and friends disputed the wandering-off theory. McCoy’s daughter, Carrie McCoy, said her father had undergone numerous surgeries on his neck, back, and shoulder and could barely walk to the mailbox without his leg brace, which was left behind in the house. A foot search launched on June 21, 2020, along with helicopter sweeps and the draining of a duck pond on the property, turned up nothing.5CBS News Minnesota. Sheriff: Help Sought Finding Terry McCoy, 68, From Wheaton
Where the Case Stands and How to Submit Tips
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension joined the sheriff’s office on the homicide investigation. As of 2026, no arrests have been made and no suspect has been publicly identified.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Terry McCoy Unsolved Case Profile The Traverse County Sheriff’s Office has not responded to recent media inquiries about the status of the case.1Inforum. 19 Days After He Went Missing, Terry McCoy Was Found in a River With a Gunshot Wound in the Back of His Head
Carrie McCoy has said she believes someone in Wheaton knows what happened. “Somebody knows something,” she told reporters. “Somebody is going to say something someday, but I’m pretty sure they’re scared.”
A $3,000 reward is being offered through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Tips can be submitted to the BCA tip line at 877-996-6222 or to Spotlight on Crime at 612-672-3878.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Terry McCoy Unsolved Case Profile