Theodore Leonard Dengerud

Dengerud, circa 1982

  • Missing Since 04/03/1982
  • Missing From Sunburg, Minnesota
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 11/08/1951 (72)
  • Age 30 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'8 - 5'9, 195 pounds
  • Medical Conditions Dengerud was in a car accident just before he disappeared and may have sustained injuries, particularly head injuries.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Black/brown hair, blue eyes. Dengerud had a thick mustache at the time of his disappearance. His nicknames are Ted and Teddy. He broke his left ankle in 1973, nine years before his disappearance.

Details of Disappearance

Dengerud was last seen in Sunburg, Minnesota at 11:00 p.m. on April 3, 1982. He was on his way to pick up his wife at her sister's house. He was unfamiliar with the area and stopped at an elderly couple's home to ask for directions. They are the last people known to have seen him before he went missing.

Dengerud was apparently involved in a single-car accident at a T-shaped intersection in a rural area west of town. His vehicle was found crashed against a small tree. Authorities believe he hit his head on the windshield during the collision. There was no sign of him at the crash site and he has never been heard from again.

There were possible sightings of him in the St. Bonifacius, Minnesota area after his disappearance, but none of these reports were confirmed. St. Bonifacius is just over 100 miles from Sunburg.

Dengerud resided in New London, Minnesota in 1982. He had been married for three years by the time of his disappearance, and had a young daughter. He served in the Vietnam War and, at the time he went missing, worked as a subcontractor.

Dengerud has relatives in Onamia, Minnesota; Cannon Falls, Minnesota; and Tallahassee, Florida. His family believes he may be suffering from amnesia and may be using an alias name.

Investigating Agency

  • Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department 320-235-1260

Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated February 7, 2011; alternate height added, distinguishing characteristics and details of disappearance updated.