The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is hoping the anniversary of Eickholt’s murder, a $1,000 reward and the release of body-worn camera video footage and crime-scene photos will generate additional tips.
Eickholt, 74, of Denmark Township, died around 9:30 a.m. Feb. 2, 2025; no one has been arrested in connection with the killing.
Eickholt was found on the side of the road on Feb. 2 in the 1300 block of Ravenna Trail, a “very frequently traveled road to Treasure Island Casino and there are many people who go through that area at all times of the day,” Detective Chad Schlichte of the Hastings Police Department said in a video posted on social media to bring attention to Eickholt’s case.
“I think somebody out there could have seen something,” Schlichte said. “He was just laying in the ditch with items of trash and things like that. It’s very uncommon for this area.”
Eickholt had been reported missing the day before when investigators responded to multiple vehicle fires at his property at 13536 St. Croix Trail S. in Denmark Township, the southern tip of Washington County.
When Washington County Deputy Shane Thorston responded to the fire, he found “four big pools of blood at the end of the driveway,” he said in the video. Thorsten said he knew they were not from a minor injury.
Targeted for gender expression?
Friends said Eickholt had been living in his truck since his one-story house was left uninhabitable after a fire on July 30, 2024.
After Eickholt was found dead, Mitch Carmody, a friend of his since 2023, expressed concern that Eickholt was a victim of violence, targeted for his gender expression.
Eickholt, who liked to wear women’s clothing, was a recognizable figure in southern Washington County, Hastings and Prescott, Wis. He regularly walked on St. Croix Trail and often hung his wardrobe on the trees at the end of his driveway, Carmody said.
Carmody said he was hopes the video generates answers. “I’m relieved by what a wonderful job the Washington County Sheriff’s Office did,” he said. “I thought maybe they’d forgotten us or the case was cold, but it was a wonderful thing.”
Eickholt was a regular at many Prescott businesses, including the BP gas station, Dairy Queen Grill & Chill and Ptacek’s IGA grocery store. He was last seen on Jan. 31, 2025, at the Holiday gas station on Point Douglas Drive in Hastings.
“There weren’t any signs of distress, no obvious danger, just Ike going about his day,” said Washington County Sheriff’s Office Detective Cooper Valeseno.
Eickholt’s death is “unsettling for a lot of people in the community, especially for the shock of what happened,” Schlichte said. “It just would be nice to not only get closure for the family, but also the closure for the people in the Washington County area that he lived by, but also the people in this town, too.”
Eickholt’s family, who called Eickholt “Bill,” shared a letter with authorities after his death.
“Bill was a kind person who would say ‘hello’ even if he didn’t know you,” the letter states. “He was a trusting individual who believed that all people were good. He loved nature and liked to walk and take in the beauty of his community. Bill had a dog for most of his life and loved to pheasant hunt. Bill was a free spirit and would not cause harm to anyone.”
“Someone saw Ike that night,” Valeseno said. “Someone knows how he got to Ravenna Trail in Hastings from his driveway. He was a human being. He had family and friends. He had routines, interests, and a life. The community deserves answers.”
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest or conviction.
Anyone with information about the death of William “Ike’ Eickholt is asked to call the Washington County Sheriff’s Office’s tip line at 651-430-7850.
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