Authorities offered a $10,000 reward on Thursday for information that leads to the capture of Michael Dale Benson, a convicted sex offender who escaped from a secure hospital in St. Peter on Saturday.
"We are confident that Michael Benson has left the St. Peter area and may have fled the state, but we also believe that someone in the area may know something about his whereabouts," said St. Peter Police Chief Matt Peters in a prepared statement.
Benson, 42, remained at large Thursday. He was described as Native American, 5-feet-11, with brown eyes, brown hair and a slender build.
His last credible sighting was Monday afternoon in Cass Lake, where authorities said he was driving a stolen green Ford Crown Victoria. with the license plate number MXB 801.
Jim O'Malley, assistant superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said the state police agency was using all of its resources to find Benson.
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Benson escaped with three other men from the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center when they removed a bar from a window and squeezed through. The other three men were quickly captured.
On Wednesday, Gov. Tim Pawlenty called for security upgrades at the center.
There have been no solid leads in the search for Benson, according to Minnesota Department of Public Safety spokesman Kevin Smith.
Benson escaped Saturday from a high-security treatment facility in St. Peter. He is believed to have stolen a green 1997 Crown Victoria
On Monday, two witnesses reported seeing the vehicle being driven by a man matching Benson's description on Cass County Road 75 near Cass Lake. The witnesses said the vehicle turned right onto U.S. Highway 2 West.
"We don't know if he's still in that area," Smith said. "We don't have any leads similar to the ones from a couple days ago."
Bemidji Director of Public Safety Bruce Preece said the Bemidji Police Department has received a couple of tips relating to the case, but that they did not pan out.
"It's very frustrating," he said. "We don't know if he's around here or not."
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Smith said authorities are now in the process or retracing Benson's steps and talking to people who might have information that could aid in the search.
"We're asking for the help of the citizens to keep their eyes open and let us know if they see anything strange," he said.
Benson pleaded guilty in 1989 to first-degree criminal sexual conduct in a rape in Douglas County and served prison time before being civilly committed to the sex offender program in St. Peter in 1993. He is classified as a Level 3 offender, a category for those deemed most likely to re-offend.
Anyone with information relating to the case should contact their local law enforcement.
(Julie Bratvold writes for the Bemidji Pioneer, a Forum Communications Co. newspaper)
