The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office is asking Minnesotans to help locate Kaitlyn Twardoski, a 26-year-old woman who vanished from northwest Rochester earlier this week.
According to a statewide alert issued through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Twardoski was last seen around 5 p.m. on June 13, and authorities have expressed concern for her safety.
Twardoski is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and about 120 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. At the time she went missing, she was wearing black shorts, a white halter top, and pink sandals.
Investigators have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, though the alert specifically notes that officials fear for her well-being.
The case has drawn wide attention online, with local news outlets and community pages across the state sharing the alert in hopes of generating tips.
Groups such as Minnesota Alerts: Missing and Endangered helped spread the notice in partnership with the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, while the BCA clarified that it is only assisting in distributing the information and is not the lead investigating agency. Any tips or leads are being directed straight to Dodge County investigators rather than the state bureau.
Community Response and How to Help
Comments on social media posts about Twardoski’s disappearance reflect the concern many residents feel, with dozens of users sharing prayers, well wishes and reposts in hopes of reaching someone who might recognize her.
Some commenters claimed she had already been located by another page, though that information has not been confirmed by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office or any verified news source as of this report. Residents are urged to rely only on official statements from law enforcement rather than secondhand claims circulating online.
Anyone with information about Twardoski’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office directly at (507) 635-6200 or to call 911 if there is an emergency.
Sharing accurate details, rather than assumptions, can make a meaningful difference in cases like this, where time and correct information often matter most to investigators trying to locate a missing person.
This case comes during a stretch of active missing person searches across southeastern Minnesota. Just days earlier, authorities in the same county searched for a missing Mantorville woman who was later found safe, while another search continues for a missing man from Chatfield believed to be in the Twin Cities area.
Local agencies continue to lean on public alerts and social media sharing as key tools in these searches, especially in rural counties where tips from residents often provide the breakthrough that formal investigations need.
Updates on Twardoski’s case are expected as the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation.
