Monica L. Bercier Wickre was always singing. If there was a stage, she was on it. If there was a piano, she was playing it. Her daughter, Tonya Hertel, remembers her mother’s voice as something that could put anyone at ease — warm, effortless, alive.
Monica was 42 years old when she was murdered in the spring of 1993 in Aberdeen, South Dakota. More than three decades later, no one has been charged with her death. Her case sits at the intersection of two crises this country has never adequately confronted: cold case homicides and the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
This is a story Vanished Voices was made to tell.
Roots on the Reservation
Monica was born and raised in Belcourt, North Dakota, on the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa reservation. She was one of ten siblings in a large, close-knit family. She grew up with music, with people, with laughter — and she carried that energy with her everywhere she went.
Monica married and had two children, Tonya and a son. When that marriage ended, she eventually remarried and had a third child, a boy, with her second husband. They settled in Aberdeen, South Dakota, while Tonya and her brother spent their teenage years with their father at Fort Yates on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe reservation. Despite the three-hour drive between homes, Tonya visited her mother often. The distance never weakened their bond.
By early 1993, Monica was living with her second husband and young son in Aberdeen. Tonya was a senior in high school and expecting her first child. When she visited Aberdeen that February for her half-brother’s first communion, her mother saw the baby bump for the first time and made plans on the spot — she wanted Tonya to move in so she could help with the baby while Tonya went to college. She had it all figured out.
Those plans would never come to be.
April 7, 1993
On the evening of April 7, Monica’s husband dropped her off at The Body Shop, a local bar in Aberdeen where she planned to have drinks with friends after work. Monica was social by nature. Going out, being around people — that was who she was.
When the bar closed, Monica needed a ride home. She left with a couple she knew and a third person — a man she did not know. According to her daughter, the couple dropped the unknown man off at his vehicle, which was parked at another location. Monica decided to go with him.
It was the last time anyone is known to have seen Monica alive.
The Gap
What makes Monica’s case especially difficult — and what has haunted investigators for decades — is the gap. Two and a half weeks passed between the night Monica was last seen and the day she was reported missing.
Her large family on the reservation grew concerned when no one had heard from her. They contacted her husband, then the Aberdeen Police Department. A missing persons report was filed on April 26, 1993 — nineteen days after she disappeared.
Chief Deputy Dave Lunzman of the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, who was an officer with Aberdeen PD at the time, remembers the search well. Detectives talked with friends, family, and neighbors. They combed both the community and the rural parts of the county. There was no sign of Monica.
For Tonya, the weeks were agonizing. “That whole month was a blur,” she told Dateline NBC. “I kept waiting for her to call, but she never did.”
When Tonya’s high school graduation arrived in May, her mother’s absence confirmed what she already feared. If Monica were alive, nothing on earth would have kept her from being there.
The James River
On June 16, 1993, a passerby in a canoe discovered a body in the James River just outside Aberdeen. Monica’s remains were badly decomposed after more than two months exposed to the elements. She was still clothed. Identification had to be made through dental records.
Because of the advanced decomposition, a cause of death could not be determined. But investigators treated the case as a homicide from the start. A 42-year-old mother of three does not end up in a river by accident.
Chief Deputy Lunzman told Dateline that there were multiple suspects in the aftermath, but never enough evidence to make an arrest. Not everyone was cleared. The case went cold — but it was never closed.
A Daughter’s Fight
For decades, Tonya Hertel has carried her mother’s story forward. She has spoken at community events, participated in panels on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, and worked to keep Monica’s name in the public eye.
In 2020, the family placed a billboard on Dakota Street in Aberdeen, asking for information and keeping Monica’s face visible to the community that watched her disappear. Monica’s own mother — Tonya’s grandmother — prayed for years for answers about her daughter’s death. She died in November 2020 at the age of 98, those prayers unanswered.
In 2021, the family collected $10,000 to offer as a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Dateline NBC featured Monica’s case in their Missing in America series, bringing her story to a national audience for the first time.
Tonya has spoken openly about the particular pain of being an Indigenous woman searching for justice in a system that too often looks the other way. “My mom was somebody, too,” she told Dateline. “For so long I felt like I didn’t have a voice. But today, I feel like I have a voice. And I feel like a voice has finally been given to my mother.”
The Bigger Picture
Monica’s case is one of thousands. The crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women — known by the hashtag #MMIW — is not a metaphor or an abstraction. It is a pattern of violence, neglect, and systemic failure that has claimed Indigenous women at rates far exceeding national averages for decades.
Monica’s case is among those referenced in Savanna’s Act, legislation signed into law in 2020 that reforms law enforcement and justice protocols for addressing cases of missing and murdered Native women. The act was named after Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind of Fargo, North Dakota, who was murdered in 2017.
In June 2024, a United We Stand panel discussion on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People was held at the K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library, with Tonya speaking as a panelist alongside representatives from the Aberdeen Police Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit. The discussion was just a fraction of the cases that need attention — but it represented something important: a community willing to listen.
After 30 Years
More than three decades have passed since Monica sang her last song, played her last piano, walked into the South Dakota night and never came home. Investigators say the case remains open. Suspects remain, though none have been publicly named. The Brown County Sheriff’s Office continues to field tips.
Someone in Aberdeen knows what happened after Monica got into that car. Someone knows how she ended up in the James River. Thirty years is a long time to carry a secret — and a long time for a family to carry grief without answers.
How You Can Help
If you have any information about the murder of Monica L. Bercier Wickre, please contact:
- Brown County Sheriff’s Office: (605) 626-7100
- Aberdeen Police Department: (605) 626-7911
The family maintains the Justice4Monica Facebook page to keep her case visible.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Listen to our full episode on Monica’s case on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share this post — because Indigenous women deserve the same media attention, the same investigative resources, and the same justice as everyone else.
At Vanished Voices, we tell the stories the world has been too quiet about. Monica Bercier Wickre’s story is one the world should have heard thirty years ago. We’re telling it now.
Have thoughts on this story or other cases you’d like to see highlighted? Share them with us in the comments or connect with us on social media. Together, we can ensure that stories like this one are never forgotten.
Don’t forget to follow us on social media, @VanishedVoicesPod, share your thoughts, and let us know what you’d like to hear about in future episodes. If you have any true crime stories of your own, send them our way Vanishedvoicespodcast@gmail.com to be featured on a future episode! And as always, Refuse to let these voices vanish. See you in the next episode of Vanished Voices!
Further Reading & Resources
National News Coverage
NBC News / Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC Staff. (2021, April 12). Daughter hoping new reward will lead to answers in the decades-old murder of her mother Monica Bercier Wickre. NBC News / Dateline. Daughter hoping new reward will lead to answers in the decades-old murder of her mother Monica Bercier Wickre
Dateline NBC Staff. (2024, March 6). Missing and murdered Indigenous people featured in Dateline NBC’s Missing in America and Cold Case Spotlight series. NBC News. Missing and murdered Indigenous people featured in Dateline NBC’s Missing in America and Cold Case Spotlight series
Dateline NBC. (2021, April 11). Daughter hoping new reward will lead to answers in the decades-old murder of Monica Bercier Wickre [Video]. YouTube. Daughter hoping new reward will lead to answers in the decades-old murder of Monica Bercier Wickre
Regional & Local News Coverage
The Dakota Scout (Aberdeen)
Sand, E. (2024, June 23). 31 years later, daughter wants answers about mother’s murder: Panel discussion highlights MMIW cases in South Dakota. The Dakota Scout. 31 years later, daughter wants answers about mother’s murder
Hub City Radio (Aberdeen)
Hub City Radio Staff. (2024, June 12). Missing and Murdered Indigenous People of SD discussion panel at K.O. Lee Public Library on Thursday. Hub City Radio. Missing and Murdered Indigenous People of SD Discussion Panel at K.O. Lee Public Library on Thursday – Hub City Radio
Argus Leader (Sioux Falls) / South Dakota News Watch
Todd, A. (2022, May 10). South Dakota’s open cold cases include these missing and murdered Indigenous women. Argus Leader. South Dakota’s open cold cases include these missing and murdered Indigenous women
Indigenous & Tribal Media
Native News Online
Native News Online Staff. (2021, May 26). Native Justice Coalition bringing awareness to MMIWG2S issue. Native News Online / Currents. Native Justice Coalition Bringing Awareness to MMIWG2S Issue
Public Broadcasting
SDPB (South Dakota Public Broadcasting)
South Dakota Public Broadcasting. (2021, May 27). SD Focus: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (Season 26, Episode 16) [Television broadcast]. PBS / SDPB. South Dakota Focus | SD Focus: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women | Season 26 | Episode 16 | PBS
Independent Coverage & Long-Form Writing
Wright, L. (2021, October 22). Cold case: Monica L. Bercier Wickre. Medium. Cold Case: Monica L. Bercier Wickre | by Leese Wright | Medium
Justice for Native Women. (2016, March). The unsolved murder of Monica Bercier-Wickre: Missing then found deceased in South Dakota, 1993. Justice for Native People [Blog]. The unsolved murder of Monica Bercier-Wickre: Missing then found deceased in South Dakota, 1993
America’s Most Wanted Fans. (n.d.). Unknown Monica Bercier Wickre killer — South Dakota — 1993 [Forum thread]. Unknown Monica Bercier Wickre Killer- South Dakota- 1993
Social Media & Community Resources
Justice4Monica [Facebook page]. (n.d.). Facebook. Maintained by Monica’s family to raise awareness and solicit tips.
Legislation Directly Referencing Monica’s Case
Savanna’s Act, Pub. L. No. 116-165, 134 Stat. 760 (2020). S.227 – Savanna’s Act 116th Congress (2019-2020)
Not Invisible Act, Pub. L. No. 116-166, 134 Stat. 766 (2020). S.982 – Not Invisible Act of 2019 116th Congress (2019-2020)
Bluestem Prairie. (2020, September 22). Savanna’s Act passes in U.S. House; on way to White House for President’s signature. Bluestem Prairie. Savanna’s Act passes in U.S. House
Related Context: The MMIW Crisis
The following resources provide broader context on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis, within which Monica’s case is situated. These may be useful for listeners who want to understand the systemic dimensions of her story.
Research Reports & Data
Urban Indian Health Institute. (2018). Missing and murdered Indigenous women & girls: A snapshot of data from 71 urban cities in the United States. Seattle Indian Health Board. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls – Urban Indian Health Institute
Rosay, A. B. (2016). Violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women and men: 2010 findings from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NIJ Research Report). National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice. (Report) Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men: 2010 Findings From the Intimate Partner and Sexual Vi
State-Level Journalism on the MMIW Crisis
Park Rapids Enterprise / Forum News Service. (n.d.). Governments seek answers as crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women persists. Park Rapids Enterprise. Governments seek answers as crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women persists
Advocacy Organizations
Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC). (n.d.). Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR). Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives – Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition
Sovereign Bodies Institute. (n.d.). MMIW database. Note: Access restricted to tribal members. Sovereign Bodies Institute
South Dakota Missing Persons Infrastructure
South Dakota Attorney General’s Office. (n.d.). Missing Persons Clearinghouse database. Note: As of 2022, there were 68 missing Indigenous people listed in the South Dakota database.
South Dakota Senate Bill 164. (2019). Established uniform reporting and investigating protocols for missing persons cases and required law enforcement training on cases involving missing Native women and children.
Note: Monica’s case is a devastating illustration of the media coverage gap that the MMIW movement has fought to close. For nearly three decades after her death, her story received no national coverage whatsoever. The Dateline NBC feature in April 2021 — made possible by her daughter Tonya Hertel’s years of advocacy — was the first time most Americans learned Monica’s name. Local coverage from Aberdeen-area outlets in the 1990s may only be accessible through newspaper archives or microfilm at the Alexander Mitchell Public Library in Aberdeen. The Dakota Scout’s 2024 panel coverage and Hub City Radio’s reporting represent the most recent local journalism on the case. Both may require subscriptions to access in full.