By Jo McMullen / KVSC reporter

Authorities are searching a portion of the Mississippi River and a surrounding park in Stearns County for a missing 6-year-old girl whose mother was found dead of an apparent suicide.

Officials believe Lisa Wade may have been involved in the disappearance of her daughter, Elle Ragin, before the Northfield woman was found dead Saturday. Investigators said they have followed up on hundreds of leads and have used boats, dive teams and underwater search drones in their search near Rice. The girl’s cellphone was found on land at Mississippi River Park and Wade’s purse and cellphone were found in the river.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office is reporting the three day search consisted of more than 100 volunteers on foot, several K-9 units, water patrol with side scan sonar, UAV’s, the Minnesota State Patrol Helicopter and the Stearns-Benton County Sheriff Dive Team.

As of Wednesday afternoon Elle has not been located. They will continue to monitor the river area over the next few days and the park has re-opened the park.

Authorities are asking anyone living along the Mississippi River from Mississippi River Park to the Sartell Dam to monitor their shoreline for any items related to the investigation and to call either Benton County or Stearns County Sheriff’s Office if they notice anything unusual.