Overview
- Brooklyn Park police responded to a disturbance on March 11 at 70th Avenue North and Maryland Avenue North where one man remained and 27-year-old Jontae Lee was later reported missing.
- Officers and detectives conducted weeks of searches using canine, water and drone teams before BCA agents using specialized electronic-sniffing dogs located Lee’s body partially submerged in reeds of a drainage pond on the 6900 block of Lakeland Avenue North on May 26.
- Authorities arrested a 22-year-old on probable-cause murder charges in late May and local reports identify him as Johnny Robinson; he is being held by Brooklyn Park police.
- Police have not released Lee’s cause of death or the exact time he died and officials say the investigation remains active pending forensic testing and further evidence development.
- Lee’s family and community held vigils and raised funds during the search, and the coming forensic findings and prosecutorial decisions will determine whether charges beyond the current probable-cause hold are filed.