Nickname: Veah, Beah, Tank
Alternative Name: Unknown
La Apoda: Veah, Beah, Tank
Nombres alternativos: Desconocido
Disappearance (Desaparición)
Missing from: Southview Terace Park, Bemidji, Minnesota, United States 56601
Date Missing: October 22, 2021 (Friday)
Suspect: Unknown
Falta de: Parque Southview Terace, Bemidji, Minnesota, Estados Unidos 56601
Falta en la fecha: 22 de octubre de 2021 (viernes)
Sospechoso: Desconocido
Circumstances (Circunstancias)
In the days leading up to her sudden disappearance, Nevaeh embodied the essence of a typical high school freshman. Described as a beautiful young woman, she shared a close bond with her mother and five siblings and was surrounded by a circle of close friends at school. Known for her responsible nature, albeit with a touch of assertiveness, Nevaeh always lent a helping hand in looking after the younger children at home. She was particularly close to her sister Lakaylee, the two often dreaming and planning for the day they might live together in one of the bigger, more thrilling cities like New York.
Despite appearing to mature at a faster pace than some of her siblings, she was still in the process of both physical and psychological development when she disappeared. Fueled by her spirited nature, she held aspirations of pursuing higher education out of state somewhere, possibly in New York or Colorado. Her dreams extended beyond the confines of her small hometown, with a yearning to explore the world and fulfill her ambitions beyond local horizons. Her disappearance has left the small community in shock, longing for her safe return as they grapple with the mystery surrounding her vanishing.
Nevaeh’s childhood unfolded in the quiet town of Bemidji, nestled in northern Minnesota and home to approximately 15,000 residents, including several thousand students at the esteemed Bemidji State University. Located on the southern shores of Lake Bemidji, which stands as the northernmost headwater for the Mississippi River, this area boasts a rich cultural tapestry, notably with the presence of three American Indian Reservations: Leech Lake, White Earth, and Red Lake. As a proud member of the Red Lake Tribe1, Nevaeh effortlessly conversed in both the Ojibwe language and English.
Surrounded by expansive national and state forests, including the Chippewa National Forest, Lake Bemidji State Park, and Itasca State Park, the region also offers a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, with the picturesque Paul Bunyan State Trail attracting locals and tourists alike.
Unfortunately, growing up in rural, smaller towns is not always easy for young teenagers who dream of greater adventures and more urban excitement. Nevaeh had an especially tough time after two of her friends took their own lives during the year, one of them just a week before she disappeared. Nevaeh herself was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, and her family tried to protect her from the many dangers facing young teens her age.Things had been challenging enough for Nevaeh that her mother had recently taken about a week off of work to stay home with her, worried about how she was handling her friend’s recent death. Unfortunately, the morning of October 22 would prove disastrous for both Nevaeh and her family.
October 21 ushered in another day of cooler temperatures, fall colors, and excitement for the upcoming Halloween celebrations. Unfortunately, the United States was experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but things were slowly returning to normal in the area.
The day started for Nevaeh with only minor concerns; she had begun feeling ill and complained to her mother about having a runny nose. In the days after, another child in the family home would be diagnosed with COVID-19 and within a few weeks the entire household seemed to have caught; it is certainly possible that Nevaeh was just feeling the first effects that morning. Nonetheless, she was still cheerful when speaking with her mother and showed no signs that anything untoward was being planned.
Her mother, Teddi Wind, left home that afternoon on her way to work; she was assigned the evening shift and planned to be at her job until midnight. Nevaeh was thrilled to learn from her mother that she was allowed to go to the theater that night with her friends to check out a movie. The two agreed on a curfew and Nevaeh simply appeared excited about the excursion. It is unclear why Nevaeh failed to go to the movies that evening; whether she never intended to actually go or whether her plans changed at a later point has not be explained.
Teddi started to call Nevaeh at around 8:00pm (20:00) to check in and see how the evening had gone so far; when Nevaeh failed to respond, Teddi assumed she was still at the theater with her friends. Eventually however too much time had passed and Teddi started to grow increasingly concerned. Finally, Nevaeh answered the phone but, while she told her mother that everything was fine, she was crying and appeared to be slurring her words together.
The situation raised alarms for Teddi who cut work early and immediately headed home. Upon arrival at the home, Teddi was astonished to learn that Nevaeh had apparently spent the evening partying at a home on a neighboring reservation. Nevaeh and a group of other teenagers had eventually been thrown out of that party and ended up staying at Nevaeh’s home. Teddi found a crowd of teenagers in her home, few (if any) did she recognized besides Nevaeh and all were in various states of intoxication. One of the teens would in fact later be taken to the hospital for alcohol poisoning.
Perhaps it was the loosening pressure after months of sheltering in place that forged in the students that week a drive for celebration and companionship. In any event, it would later be revealed that several homes in town had been hosting parties and teens were wandering between residences throughout the night. By the time Teddi found Nevaeh upstairs, the girl was clearly under the influence of alcohol and upset at being caught having an unapproved party at her home. Teddi was upset and began to confront Nevaeh while also attempting to order the teens out of her home; eventually however one of the girls became increasingly aggressive and Teddi headed back to her car to call the police. When the police arrived, they helped Teddi clear out the partygoers and rescue those who were too drunk to care for themselves. Disconcertingly, it soon became obvious that Nevaeh herself was no longer at the home.
Witnesses would later say they saw Nevaeh leaving the party through the home’s back door, only for her to reappear at two separate parties later in the early morning hours. She left a party at an unknown residence along Carter Circle at around 1:00am before heading towards Southview Terace Park. Nevaeh was now walking with a female friend when the two decided to secretly visit a boy Nevaeh knew in the Southview Terace trailer park and the two girls crawled trough his bedroom window and spoke with him for some time. Eventually, his father realized that there were people in the boy’s room and he stopped to knock on the door and tell them to leave at around 2:00am. The disturbance frightened Nevaeh who suddenly jumped out of the bedroom window, possibly striking her head on the way out. She is said to have lain on the ground for a while before rushing off into the night by herself; disappearing into the darkened streets.
In 2023, police announced that there was a possible sighting of Nevaeh near the intersection of Washington Ave and Pine Grove between the hours of 3:30am – 4:00am the day she disappeared. Further information is not available.
Months later, the police investigation would unveil one final, likely sighting of Nevaeh from that day. Approximately eight hours after Nevaeh fled the trailer home, an unknown female matching Nevaeh’s description knocked on the door of a nearby home along the main road leading out of town. The girl, described as Native American with dark and wavy hair with highlights, asked the family living there about someone they did not know. She then left and it was not until later the following day that the family found two windows in their garage broken. They described the clothing the girl wore and it matched Nevaeh’s clothing very closely; however, they did not recognized Nevaeh from photos when shown. There is some possibility that Nevaeh rode out the cold winter night in their garage before moving on her way.
The search for Nevaeh was significantly delayed due to the fact that she was initially classified as a likely runaway. Both Nevaeh and her sister Lakaylee had run away from home numerous times in the past; Nevaeh had once stayed away from as much as a month. Lakaylee was not at home at the time and based on the events that had occurred that night, it was not infeasible that Nevaeh would be hiding out to avoid getting into trouble.
But as weeks passed, Nevaeh did not return. She did not use her social media accounts. She didn’t contact her friends or family. Not even her sister Lakaylee; Nevaeh had always stayed in touch with her somehow, even if it meant borrowing someone else’s media account to reach out. After thirty days, a police detective was finally assigned to the case and an investigation was launched; unfortunately at that point a significant amount of time had already lapsed.
The investigation revealed Nevaeh’s trip to the trailer park and the boy came forward to say that he had discovered Nevaeh and her friend’s phones in his room, hidden where they fell in the disturbance. A search of the phone turned up no new information and no evidence that she was planning to meet someone or had been on any of her social media accounts since her disappearance.
Police finally conducted a massive search throughout the surrounding areas, covering around 500 acres of land and waterways. The concern was that Nevaeh was hurt when she hit her head on the windowsill and that she may have passed out somewhere nearby. Police failed to uncover any sign of the girl and eventually suspended the search due to inclement weather. Once spring temperatures began melting the snow, the police launched a new search of around 1,000 acres but with no better results.
Neveah remains one of several young children and teenagers from the Ojibwe tribes to have gone missing in the recent years. In September of 2023, several indigenous groups worked with area police to run another large search as the investigation continues; around 100 – 150 people participated.
There remains no evidence to prove that Nevaeh was the girl seen at the family’s home the evening following her disappearance; nor is there any concrete details about where she went after the trailer park home. There are any number of possibilities ranging from the involvement of foul play to a potential accident, or she may actually have simply run away.
Some have questioned whether Nevaeh’s disappearance is in some way connected to the disappearance of Jeremy Jourdain, a young man who disappeared several years previously but under similar circumstances. Jeremy was an out-of-towner who came to Bemedji to visit friends during the Halloween weekend. He spent the evening partying at a friend’s residence before suddenly leaping up and complaining that he wanted to leave. He fled the home around midnight and disappeared. A K-9 unit was able to follow his trail to the Wood Avenue and 6th Street Intersection, but they then lost the scent.
He was last seen at a party but suddenly got up and said he wanted to leave. He fled the home around midnight and has not been seen since. The K-9 unit followed his trail to the Wood Avenue and 6th Street intersection; there is concern that he may have hitched a ride from there or that he was trying to walk home to Cass Lake (a trip of around 14 miles). The situation was highly unusual for Jeremy and there is a strong believe that he did not merely run away that night.
Nevaeh
- Teenager (15)
- Native American (Dark Hair, Dark Eyes)
- Disappeared October 22, 2021 (near Halloween)
- Spent the night partying with her friends
- Disappeared at Night
- Showed signs of unusual distress and strange behavior
- Suddenly fled their friend’s residence alone and on foot.
- Disappeared near to the last known location for Jeremy
Jeremy
- Teenager (17)
- Native American (Dark Hair, Dark Eyes)
- Disappeared October 31, 2016 ( on Halloween)
- Spent the night partying with his friends
- Disappeared at Night
- Showed signs of unusual distress and strange behavior
- Suddenly fled their friend’s residence alone and on foot.
- Disappeared near where Nevaeh was walking
Despite the similarities within the two cases there are some differences as well including their height, gender, and the year in which they disappeared.
Description (Descripción)
- Date of Birth: August 26, 2006
- Age: 15
- Ethnicity: American Indian
- Nationality: United States
- Gender at Birth: Female
- Hair: Brown or Black Hair
- Eye Color: Brown Eyes
- Height: 5’4 ( 162.6cm)
- Weight: 120 lbs (54.4 kg)
- Languages Spoken: English, Ojibwe
- Fecha de Nacimiento: 26 de agosto de 2006
- Años: 15
- Etnia: Indio americano
- Nacionalidad: Estados Unidos
- Sexo al nacer: Feminino
- Pelo: Cabello castaño o negro
- Color de los ojos: Ojos cafés
- Altura: 5’4 (162,6 cm)
- Peso: 120 libras (54,4 kg)
- Idiomas: Inglés y Ojibwe
Distinguishing Marks or Factors (Características Distintivas)
- Scar on the back of her left thigh
- Scar or mark near her left eyebrow
- Pierced Ears
- One section of her hair had been dyed blonde.
- Cicatriz en la parte posterior de su muslo izquierdo
- Cicatriz o marca cerca de la ceja izquierda
- Orejas perforadas
Medical Concerns (Atención Médica)
- Mental Health Concerns
- Bipolar Disorder
- Preocupaciones de salud mental
- Trastorno bipolar
Suspect (Sospechoso)
Clothing (Ropa)
- Either a black zippered sweatshirt or a red sweatshirt with a logo showing the Chicago bull in feathered headdress
- White Tank-Top or T-Shirt
- Blue Skinny Jeans
- Black Sandals, Slide-Type (Nike) with the Nike logo in red letters
- Outerwear
- Ya sea una sudadera negra con cremallera o una sudadera roja con un logo que muestre el toro de Chicago.
- Camiseta sin mangas o camiseta blanca
- Vaqueros
- Sandalias Negras, Tipo Slide (Nike) con el logo de Nike en letras rojas
Vehicle (Vehículo)
If You or Anyone You Know Has Information About The Disappearances, Please Contact:
- BIA OJS Missing and Murdered Unit
- (833) 560-2065
- OJS_MMU@bia.gov
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- tips@fbi.gov
- (855) 835-5324
- Your Nearest United States Embassy
- Your National Police
Or use the QR Code (right) to find contact information for various National Police Agencies
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Resources
- Charley Project, ” Nevaeh Leigh Kingbird”, Link.
- NamUS “#MP88394”, Link.
- Dateline: Missing in America (2023) “Missing: Nevaeh Kingbird” (Transcript), 1 June, Link.
- NCMEC, “Jeremy Leon Jourdain”, Link.
- Red Lake Nation News (2023) “Large-scale search for evidence in Nevaeh Kingbird disappearance underway in Bemidji”, 26 September, Link.
- Charley Project, “Jeremy Leon Jourdain”, Link.
- KSTPTV (2023) “Search happening in Bemidji this week for missing Indigenous teen last seen in 2021”, 25 September, Link.
- True Case Files “The Disappearance of Nevaeh Kingbird”, Link.
- Donovan, L. (2023) “Continuation of hope: Agencies and community come together in search for missing Bemidji teen”, 25 September, Kaxe, Link.
- Sengupta, S. (2023) “Nevaeh Kingbird: Found or Missing? Is She Dead or Alive?”, The Cinemaholic, 31 May, Link.
- Oxygen (2023) “Minnesota Teen Mysteriously Disappears after Partying with Friends — What Happened to Her?”, 1 June, Link.
- Unsolved Mysteries (2023) “Do you have a clue in Nevaeh Kingbird’s disappearance?”, 26 September, Link.
- Uncovered, “Nevaeh Kingbird”, Link.
- WDIO (2022) “Nevaeh Kingbird, still missing one year later”, 21 October, Link.
- Disappeared (2023) “The Disappearance of Neveah Kingbird”, 5 June, Link.
- Wiita, T. (2023) “Police in Bemidji provide lengthy update on search for Neveah Kingbird”, 2 May, Link.
- Lakeland News (2023) “Police Provide Update on Nevaeh Kingbird Search, Ask for Public’s Help in Finding Her”, 2 May, Link.
- Duoos, K. (2023) “Community Unites in New Search for Missing Teen Nevaeh Kingbird”, Leech Lake News, 13 October, Link.
- Holding Eagle III, M. (2023) “Bemidji authorities launch two-day search for Indigenous teen missing since 2021”, MPR News, 25 September, Link.
- Bring Nevaeh Home, Facebook, Link.
Podcasts:
- Dateline: Missing in America (2023) “Missing: Nevaeh Kingbird”, 30 May, Link.
- War-Podcast, (2022) “Nevaeh Kingbird”, 24 April, Link.
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