Overview

Last known contact: June 25, 2018, at approximately 10:00 a.m.

Last known area: Devils Lake/Fort Totten area of North Dakota

Remains recovered: June 2019, Spirit Lake Reservation near Fort Totten, North Dakota

Age when he disappeared: 38

NamUs: MP51014

Case status: Unsolved; investigators have sought information concerning both Joseph Bruce Sr.’s disappearance and death.

Main circumstances: Joseph “Joe” Bruce Sr., a Grand Forks father of five, was in the Devils Lake area when he learned that his young son had suffered a medical emergency and was being flown to a hospital in the Twin Cities. Bruce told his family he was coming, but he never arrived. His van was later discovered abandoned on the Spirit Lake Reservation. Nearly a year later, partial human remains found near the area were identified as Bruce. His family had maintained from early in the investigation that they believed he had been killed.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Joseph Bruce Sr. Murder: The Unsolved 2018 Disappearance and Death in North Dakota

Brief Case Summary

Last known contact: June 25, 2018, at approximately 10:00 a.m.

Last known area: Devils Lake/Fort Totten area of North Dakota

Remains recovered: June 2019, Spirit Lake Reservation near Fort Totten, North Dakota

Age when he disappeared: 38

NamUs: MP51014

Case status: Unsolved; investigators have sought information concerning both Joseph Bruce Sr.’s disappearance and death.

Main circumstances: Joseph “Joe” Bruce Sr., a Grand Forks father of five, was in the Devils Lake area when he learned that his young son had suffered a medical emergency and was being flown to a hospital in the Twin Cities. Bruce told his family he was coming, but he never arrived. His van was later discovered abandoned on the Spirit Lake Reservation. Nearly a year later, partial human remains found near the area were identified as Bruce. His family had maintained from early in the investigation that they believed he had been killed.

Joseph Bruce Sr. Disappears While Trying to Reach His Son

On the morning of June 25, 2018, Joseph James “Joe” Bruce Sr. was in the Devils Lake area of North Dakota when his family contacted him with urgent news. His youngest son had suffered a serious medical emergency and was being flown to a hospital in the Twin Cities.

Bruce told his longtime partner, Miranda Patnaude, that he was coming.

He never arrived.

The circumstances immediately concerned his family. Bruce was the father of five children, and Patnaude later explained publicly that his son was extremely important to him. His failure to reach the hospital, followed by a complete loss of contact, was behavior his family considered completely out of character.

His Final Phone Call

Bruce’s last known communication with his family occurred at approximately 10:00 a.m. on June 25.

According to accounts later provided by his family, Bruce was in Devils Lake and indicated that he intended to turn his phone off temporarily and turn it back on once he was outside town.

Instead, communication stopped.

There was reportedly no further activity on his phone, and Bruce did not contact his family again.

Bruce had been visiting his mother in Belcourt before traveling to Devils Lake. Authorities later said he was known to frequent Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Fort Totten.

Joseph Bruce Sr.’s Van Is Found on the Spirit Lake Reservation

One of the most significant pieces of evidence surfaced after Bruce disappeared.

His minivan was discovered abandoned in a secluded area of the Spirit Lake Reservation, near marshy sloughs. Later reporting said the keys were still inside the vehicle.

Bruce himself was nowhere to be found.

The discovery intensified his family’s belief that he had not voluntarily disappeared. Searches were conducted, including efforts organized by Bruce’s family, but months passed without locating him.

The Grand Forks Police Department had received the family’s missing-person report on July 3, 2018. The Devils Lake Police Department became heavily involved because Bruce’s last known movements were in that area.

Family Says They Believe Joseph Bruce Was Murdered

By September 2018, Bruce’s family was publicly saying they believed he had been killed.

His daughter JoLyn Bruce and longtime partner Miranda Patnaude told Valley News Live that Bruce simply disappearing did not make sense to them.

The family also reported hearing disturbing rumors concerning what might have happened to Bruce. At the time, however, Devils Lake Police said there were no identified suspects and continued describing the matter as an active investigation.

Multiple agencies eventually became involved, including the Devils Lake Police Department, FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs and other law-enforcement partners.

Human Remains Found Near Where His Van Had Been Located

The case changed dramatically in June 2019.

Partial human remains were discovered by a passerby in a secluded area of the Spirit Lake Reservation near Fort Totten. The location was reportedly close to where Bruce’s abandoned van had previously been found.

Testing identified the remains as belonging to Joseph Bruce Sr.

After nearly a year of searching, his family finally knew that Bruce was deceased—but discovering his remains created another question that remains central to the case:

What happened to Joseph Bruce after his final phone call on June 25, 2018?

FBI Offers Reward in Joseph Bruce Sr. Investigation

Federal authorities eventually made a public appeal for information concerning Bruce’s disappearance and death.

In November 2019, the FBI announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the person or people responsible.

The reward was increased to as much as $10,000 in June 2020.

The wording of the reward was significant: investigators were seeking information leading to the arrest and indictment of whoever was responsible for Bruce’s disappearance and/or death.

The FBI worked on the investigation with Devils Lake Police and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

New Leads Reported After Reward Increase

There was a potentially important development later in 2020.

In December, the Grand Forks Herald reported that the increased FBI reward had generated new leads and that investigators believed the case was making progress.

Devils Lake Police Detective Sue Schwab said investigators were continuing to interview people about what happened on the day Bruce disappeared. Some people had been identified who investigators believed could have information, although police did not publicly identify them as suspects.

Bruce’s partner was also interviewed again by the FBI during this period.

Investigators did not publicly disclose the substance of the new information, identify a suspect, announce an arrest or explain exactly how Bruce died.

Where the Investigation Stands

The most substantial publicly reported investigative development located in available reporting remains the 2020 disclosure that the increased reward had generated new leads and that investigators were continuing interviews.

No later publicly reported arrest, criminal charge or announced resolution of Joseph Bruce Sr.’s death was located in the sources reviewed through August 2026.

The case has nevertheless continued to receive public attention. A 2025 episode of Crime with Holly, featuring material from the Least of These podcast, continued to describe Bruce’s death as unsolved and again directed anyone with information to the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office.

That continued public appeal is important because investigators have previously emphasized that information from people familiar with Bruce’s movements on June 25, 2018 could be critical.

Questions That Remain Unanswered

More than eight years after Joseph Bruce Sr. disappeared, fundamental questions remain unanswered.

What happened after his final telephone conversation with his family? How did his van end up abandoned on the Spirit Lake Reservation? Who was with him—or saw him—during his final hours? Why were his remains located near the area where the van had been found? And who, if anyone, was responsible for his death?

Bruce’s family suspected foul play long before his remains were discovered. Investigators later sought information specifically concerning the person or people responsible for his disappearance and/or death.

Until someone provides the information necessary to establish what happened between Bruce’s final phone call and the discovery of his abandoned van, the death of Joseph “Joe” Bruce Sr. remains an unresolved North Dakota case..