The Murder of Rae Elaine Tourtillott

The investigation into Rae's murder has involved multiple agencies over nearly four decades, including the Menominee Tribal Police Department, the FBI Milwaukee Field Office, local law enforcement, the Shawano County Sheriff's Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Investigators have conducted extensive interviews and followed every reported lead. Persons of interest have been identified, but no suspect has ever been publicly named and no arrest has been made due to insufficient evidence.

Rae's family and advocates have pointed to systemic failures in the early stages of the investigation. Rae's cousin Andrea Lemke-Rochon, a member of Wisconsin's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force, has cited unexplained delays in the initial response, evidence that went missing, and a lack of coordinated investigative effort between the multiple agencies involved. These failures contributed to the case going cold for decades.

Rae's case is part of the broader national crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Indigenous women are murdered at a rate many times higher than the national average on some reservations, and cases involving Indigenous victims have historically received less investigative attention and media coverage. Rae's family has continued to push for accountability, not only for her case but as part of a wider effort to ensure Indigenous women's lives are treated with equal urgency.

The FBI reopened Rae's case in 2019. As of the most recent reports, the investigation remains open and active. The combined reward of $20,000 remains in place. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Menominee Tribal Police or the FBI.