Late in the day on March 5, 2025, the St. Louis Sheriff’s Office received information from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) regarding several Cybertips involving child exploitation. Cybertips are received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) when an electronic service provider detects child exploitation material on their network. After the tips are received by NCMEC, they are forwarded to a state law enforcement agency, who then determines the exact location of the incident and then contacts local law enforcement. One of the tips in this case involved the solicitation of a minor who lived in the state of Georgia. Another of the tips involved an individual receiving child sexual abuse material. Throughout the investigation, it was learned the suspect in both tips lived in Eveleth, MN and was employed by Rock Ridge High School. 

On March 18, 2025, at approximately 1043 hours, area emergency services and law-enforcement responded to the report of a fire at Dyno Nobel Inc., a business located in the 5300 block of Vermillion Trail located south of Biwabik, Minnesota.