Armongene Mason

Armongene Mason was a woman who had overcome significant challenges to build a life for herself and her family. At 40 years old, the mother of two grown children, a son and a daughter, had fought a long battle with severe epilepsy. Despite her health issues and a 10th-grade education, she was determined. Armongene, a Black woman, studied to become a certified nursing assistant and was regarded as an "excellent employee" at the Weldwood Health Care Center in Golden Valley, Minnesota, where she had worked for three years. Living in the Hawthorne neighborhood of north Minneapolis, she was a dedicated mother and professional who, by all accounts, was not involved in criminal activity.

On the evening of Tuesday, December 1, 1987, Armongene went out with her aunt. Later, she visited her boyfriend. It was the last time her 20-year-old son, Joseph, would ever see her. In the frigid early morning hours of the next day, December 2, a motorist driving along County Road 23, also known as Lake Drive, in the rural community of Columbus, Minnesota, spotted something on the shoulder of the road and stopped to investigate. What he found was the nude body of Armongene Mason, nearly 30 miles from her home.

The Anoka County Sheriff's Office was called to the scene. Investigators noted that despite the freezing temperatures, Armongene's body had not frozen, indicating she had been placed there only a short time before she was discovered around 5 a.m. An autopsy determined she had been stabbed and strangled to death. There were ligature marks on her wrists and ankles, clear evidence that she had been bound before her murder. Her car was found several days later back in Minneapolis, but this discovery yielded few answers.

The investigation into Armongene’s homicide began immediately, but from the start, detectives were baffled. They identified several persons of interest early on, but no one was ever arrested or charged in connection with her death. Her case was particularly alarming because she was the second of three Black women found murdered in the Twin Cities suburbs within a two-week period. On November 20, the body of 20-year-old Tahrita McKinnies, who was seven months pregnant, was found in a field in Brooklyn Park. Just two days after Armongene was discovered, the body of 26-year-old Felicia Fonda Williams was found near Wirth Lake in Golden Valley. While police at the time publicly downplayed the likelihood of a connection, the similarities in the cases raised concerns.

Over the decades, Armongene Mason’s case has grown cold, but it has not been forgotten. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Homicide Unit continues to seek answers and keeps her file active. On the anniversary of her death, the department often renews its appeal to the public for information that might finally lead to a breakthrough. Investigators and Armongene's family are left with unanswered questions about who could have committed such a violent act and why she was targeted.

As of early 2026, the murder of Armongene Mason remains unsolved. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office continues to ask for help from the public, believing that someone, somewhere has information that could bring justice for Armongene and closure to her grieving family. In a public appeal, the Sheriff's Office stated, "You don't have to tell us who you are, but please tell us what you know. Your tip could bring closure to a grieving family." Anyone with information regarding the case is urged to contact the sheriff's office by emailing [email protected].