SerpApi.Org
Authorities are investigating a Minnesota mom’s death after she was found dead under suspicious circumstances.
On July 16 at about 7 p.m., Rikki Skog was found lying in a ditch along County Road 39 near Deer River, the Itasca County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.
Rikki was reportedly last seen on July 15, according to authorities, who are asking anyone who saw her to reach out with any information.
“At this time, the death is being investigated as suspicious, and the investigation remains active,” according to the Facebook post. “No additional information is available for release at this time.”
Rikki’s family later spoke out about her death.
“My aunt, Rikki Skog, was an Indigenous mother to three girls and the youngest of eight siblings,” niece Taja Miller wrote on GoFundMe. “She loved her daughters more than anything and spent many years fighting drug addiction so she could be sober for her girls. Rikki was a caring and resilient woman who always put her family first, and her strength inspired everyone who knew her.”
Meanwhile, her cousin Derick Skog pleaded for answers.
“Someone who has any information, please step forward and do the right thing,” he wrote on Facebook. “This is absolutely horrendous and beyond sad.”
Rikki often documented her sobriety journey, praising her eldest daughter for helping her stay positive during her recovery.
“My oldest daughter Ava wrote me a letter,” she wrote in a November 2024 Facebook post. “This girl right here is 1 of the 3 reasons why I'm not giving up and still here fighting.”
In the letter, her daughter thanked her mom for everything Rikki had done for her.
“I know you can beat this struggle you are going through and I know it's scary,” Ava wrote. “But once you take those first few steps in your recovery it will all start blossoming from there!!”
According to the GoFundMe, Rikki’s loved ones plan to celebrate her life in an Ojibwe ceremony, “reflecting her heritage and the love she had for her family.”
