Recent tip sparks new search 44 years after Minnesota 3-year-old disappeared near Bemidji

State and local authorities are searching a property near Bemidji in a new effort tied to the 1982 disappearance of a 3-year-old, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has learned. Kevin Ayotte was 3 years old when he and the family dog disappeared from their home outside Bemidji on Sept. 30, 1982. The dog came back, but the little boy was never found. Now, the Beltrami County Sheriff s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) are searching a property a few miles from Ayotte s home in Sugarbush Township after a tip from a family member. Sheriff Jason Riggs said crews have been on scene since Thursday and will be there through the weekend. The BCA confirmed to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that the agency is in Sugar Bush Township assisting the Beltrami County Sheriff s Office with executing a warrant. However, it deferred to the sheriff s office for additional details. An individual of interest at one point in this investigation lived on this property and no longer does. But family