VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Family members and friends of Alfred “Al” Odden are grieving following the announcement by the Valley City police department that Mr. Odden’s vehicle and body were recovered from the Sheyenne River in Valley City.
Valley City Police Chief Nick Horner said on the evening of Friday, April 10, 2026, the Valley City Police Department located a vehicle submerged in the Sheyenne River near the 1300 block of Riverview Drive. Due to elevated spring water levels and strong currents, the vehicle could not be safely recovered at that time.
He said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was contacted and they temporarily reduced water flow out of Baldhill Dam to lower river levels, allowing for a safe recovery operation.
Horner said on the morning of Saturday, April 11, 2026, the vehicle was successfully removed from the river with assistance from Valley City Fire and Rescue, Gille Auto, the Barnes County Sheriff’s Office, Barnes County Ambulance, and the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
With assistance from the Wahpeton Police Department, the vehicle was confirmed to belong to Al Odden, who had been reported missing since April 1, 2026. Mr. Odden was located deceased at the scene, and his identity has been confirmed.
A Silver Alert was issued last week for the 73-year-old Odden who was last seen April 1st, 2026, at a Casey’s gas station in Valley City. His family said he was suffering from dementia.
