The Search Continues For Olivia Lone Bear

Olivia Lone Bear went missing on October 24, 2017. She was last seen at the Sportsman's Bar in New Town, North Dakota. Her vehicle, a teal 2011 Chevy Silverado 2500 HDLT Crew Cab is also missing. The pickup has a silver tool box and a dented tail gate, with North Dakota plates number 839BRC.

The Roundup spoke to Oliva's brother, Matthew Lone Bear, who said, "We are still looking for her. We are also still looking for volunteers to cover the ground. We do have a ten thousand dollar reward out for conviction of those responsible for her disappearance or for bringing her home."

The process to find Lone Bear is different from other search parties in years past, in that the ground search is actually being organized and run not by law enforcement, but by the Lone Bear family. They know the lay of the land well enough to do a competent job at knowing what needs to be searched and organizing the search. The family has come together in this time of need to help along with friends and community volunteers.

Matthew Lone Bear said, "The family is running the ground search. From what we hear, this is the first time this has ever happened. The police usually do the ground search, but the family is doing it. Law enforcement is handling the investigation side of things."

Many in the Bakken area are helping in the search, including fire and rescue departments from neighboring towns like Belcourt, Beulah, and Mandaree. The tribal police have also worked with Roosevelt County volunteers, and volunteers from the Standing Rock Nation.

"We supply rooms, food and gas cards for volunteers who are out here searching," Matthew Lone Bear said. Our volunteers get taken care of pretty well. We have a safety meeting every day at 8:30 a.m. at Ft Berthold and there is a debriefing at 5 o'clock."

Olivia is described as 32 years old, five feet six inches tall and weighs approximately 130 pounds. She is Native American, with brown hair and brown eyes. She has five children.

The search party is doing everything possible to cover the sky, land and water where she might be found. Various methods have been employed to find Lone Bear or her missing pickup. Matthew Lone Bear told the Roundup, "We did have one airplane up, and we had two boats in the water in the last 30 days. We still need boat help. The water has yet to be searched. We are trying to get that done before it freezes. Once it freezes it will be much harder. That's why we're trying to do it in a timely fashion."

When asked if the search party was remaining optimistic, Matthew Lone Bear said, "We are trying to keep our spirits up. Every day we don't find something, it's kind of a good thing because we know she may still be out there. Time is important."

Still needed, according to the Lone Bear family, are additional volunteers, vehicles and horses to search off-road, and boats. These will help the family search as thoroughly as possible.

Lone Bear reiterated how important it was to call the tip line with pertinent information, which is 701-893-6841.