​It has been 40 years since Leo Coleman Cortez left Anoka State Hospital, intending to meet his sister Donna at a St. Paul bus depot around noon. Coleman Cortez, who is Indigenous, has been missing ever since.

Donna waited for some time at the bus station, eventually going home without her brother. She called the hospital to see if he had returned and let them know he had never arrived, but Donna remembers being dismissed by the nurse who answered the phone. While Donna called local police departments to ask for help at the time, no missing person report was filed until last year, when she filed a report with the Anoka Police Department.

Donna looked for her brother alone for decades until she met Ana Negrete of our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) office, who arranged to have Coleman Cortez featured on one of eight missing Indigenous persons billboards now displayed in Minnesota.

Negrete worked with Missing Children Minnesota and Clear Channel Communication to arrange the displays, with Clear Channel Communication offering MMIR space on their digital billboards for a $1 contract.

“We are so thankful for the support, and we really hope that raising awareness on these cases does two things: generate tips and show the families and communities that they are not alone in remembering and searching for their loved ones," Negrete said.

In addition to Coleman Cortez, the billboards feature:

• Kateri Mishow
• Mato Dow
• Nevaeh Kingbird
• Melissa Eagle Shield
• Melissa Burt
• Jeremy Jourdain
• April Geyer

The billboards went up this month in Minneapolis, Burnsville, Shoreview, Mounds View, Maplewood and Columbus township. MMIR collaborated with the families of each missing Indigenous person featured, as well as law enforcement agencies and Crimestoppers to pull together information on each person's case.

You can view each billboard in the MMIR billboards document.

"Highlighting these cases brings hope to families who have previously felt like they are the only ones looking for their loved ones," MMIR Director Juliet Rudie said. “We are asking for the public's help to assist law enforcement in solving these MMIR cases. It's truly a community restorative justice process."

Community involvement is critical to realizing the MMIR's vision to end violence against Indigenous people in our state. Learn more about MMIR on the MMIR website.