Search For Missing Mayo Clinic Employee Called Off

Goodview, MN  - Authorities have called off the search for a Winona area woman who was reported missing yesterday after she failed to report for work at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Goodview Police Chief Kent Russell made the announcement had a news conference this afternoon during which he disclosed that investigators had uncovered credible information indicating 31-year-old Leigh Meska was not involved in a crash while driving in the double-digit below zero temperatures yesterday morning. In fact, Russell says it appears she drove to Rochester and then returned to the Winona area yesterday and was last seen in La Crosse. At this point, her whereabouts are not known and Goodview Police Department would like to hear from Meska to verify that she is okay.

A massive search effort was launched after her fiancé received a call and was told she did not report for her job. Chief Russell says he told investigators Meska had left for Rochester around 6:50 AM. Her last activity on her cell phone occurred around 7:30 AM near the Highway 52/I-90 interchange, which led authorities to focus their search efforts on an area of southeastern Olmsted County. It involved multiple law enforcement agencies and included an aerial search using thought State Patrol helicopter.