Family of Mille Lacs County Hit-and-Run Victim Offers Reward

ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- The family of a woman killed in a hit-and-run on Highway 169 last month is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the driver who was responsible.

Fifty-six-year-old Dr. Cathy Donovan was killed while walking her dogs on November 13th.

At a news conference Wednesday morning, family members joined the Minnesota State Patrol and Mille Lacs County Sheriff's Office to announce the reward and plead for information that will help solve the case.

Donovan's twin sister Robin Councilman says while solving this case won't make the family whole, it may help provide closure...

Someone knows of a person who was driving that route and now has unexpected damage or an unexpected repair to their car. Someone knows someone who was traveling up 169 that afternoon and did not arrive when and where they were expected. Someone knows someone who's been acting very unusual for the last month because we have no doubt that, while our lives were changed forever on November 13th, so was the person who took her life.

Investigators say they're looking for a dark-colored vehicle with full-width taillights that was traveling northbound near Grand Casino Mille Lacs.  There’s a picture on the Mille Lacs County Sheriff's Facebook page and a comment suggests it is a Ford EcoSport.

State Patrol Colonel Matt Langer says someone knows something...

If you were aware of it, if you were a passenger, if your relative was driving, if you think your co-worker might have been driving, if you saw a vehicle, if you repaired a vehicle, if you sold a part for someone to a vehicle that may have been involved, we also want to hear from you.

According to her obituary, Donovan was a physician at the Mille Lacs Health System since 1996.

The phone number to call for offering information on the case is (218) 316-3026.