A northern Minnesota police sergeant known for working with a K-9 partner and mentoring students died Feb. 27, less than 24 hours after doctors diagnosed a brain infection, his department and relatives said. Sgt. Cody Siebert was 33.
Siebert’s rapid decline and death sent a wave of grief through the Iron Range communities he served and the school halls where he worked security. East Range police and family members have shared few medical details, saying only that the infection began in his nasal passage and spread to his brain. Colleagues described him as a steady presence who brought humor to stressful work, while supporters raised money for his partner and two young sons as the department prepared for memorial plans and an early court process was not involved.
Family members said Siebert woke up last week with a headache that had started the day before, something they described as unusual for him. He went to a hospital, where doctors determined an infection in his nasal passage had reached his brain, according to relatives and a report from The Minnesota Star Tribune. He continued to deteriorate while hospitalized and died Friday night, less than a day after receiving the diagnosis, officials said. “It basically happened overnight,” his sister-in-law, Ashley Siebert, told the Star Tribune, describing the speed of the illness. The family said Siebert became an organ donor, a decision relatives said fit a life centered on helping others.
The East Range Police Department announced Siebert’s death in a statement that called his passing unexpected and praised his personality. The department said he was “happy-go-lucky” and that “if you couldn’t get along with Cody, it was your fault.” The statement added, “The hole left by Sgt. Siebert’s passing will be impossible to fill,” and ended with a message to the officer: “We at ERPD love you and will miss you always. We have it from here.” East Range police serve Hoyt Lakes and Aurora, and officials said Siebert spent most of his career in the region. He also worked in his hometown police department in Babbitt, where his father once served, and he started a K-9 program there before moving to East Range police in 2023, bringing his dog, Taconite, with him.
Beyond patrol work, Siebert became a familiar face at Mesabi East Schools in Aurora, where he served as a K-9 officer. School leaders and officers said he built trust with students by learning their names, showing up for events and treating ordinary hallway moments as chances to connect. In a tribute shared by media outlets, Mesabi East administrators said the district was “truly blessed” to have him in the building. Dean of Students Michelle Metzig wrote that Siebert was “a mentor, a role model, a friend, and a steady, positive presence,” adding that his impact on students and staff “cannot be measured.” Friends said he talked often about coaching and about raising his sons, and colleagues said he approached the job with the same upbeat energy he brought to family life.
Siebert is survived by his partner, Karen Blais, and their sons, Reese, 2, and Bayne, 1, relatives said. A fundraising page set up by his brother and Blais said donations will help cover memorial costs, bills and childcare as the family adjusts to life without him. By Wednesday, the online fundraiser had drawn about 1,200 donors and raised nearly $120,000 toward a $140,000 goal. The family also noted another recent loss: Siebert’s sister-in-law, Alyssa Siebert, died in October after a brain aneurysm. Ashley Siebert told the Star Tribune the two deaths felt like a painful repeat of an unusually sudden situation, and she said both relatives sought to help other people even at the end of their lives.
In Hoyt Lakes, co-workers and community members created a growing memorial outside the police station in the days after Siebert’s death. On Monday, his patrol vehicle sat outside the department with flowers covering the hood, as friends stopped by to leave bouquets and short notes. Chief Jorden Klovstad told Northern News Now that Siebert “had a passion for everything,” adding that his reach made the loss hard to absorb. Officer Josh Houdek, who worked alongside him, said Siebert’s humor helped carry the team through long shifts. “I spent more time with him than I did my wife the last few years,” Houdek said, describing holiday gatherings where Siebert felt like part of the family. Former officer Scott Garrick said he kept expecting a message with good news and called the death hard to accept.
Colleagues said they will remember Siebert through the K-9 work he helped expand and the station routines he made feel lighter. Houdek said Siebert talked most about his sons and the plans he imagined for them, including sports and the possibility of coaching when they were older. Northern News Now reported that co-workers pointed to small traditions, including pizza Fridays, as moments that became meaningful after his death. One co-worker said the department’s new internal touchstone has become a simple question, “what would Cody do,” a phrase officers said they want to use as a reminder to handle calls and public interactions with the same calm, friendly approach they associated with Siebert. East Range police have not announced service dates, but the department and family said they will share details as plans are finalized.
As of Wednesday, tributes continued to arrive from law enforcement agencies, school staff and Iron Range residents who said they knew Siebert as an officer who made time for conversation. The next milestone is the release of memorial arrangements, which family members and the department said will be shared in the coming days.
Author note: Last updated March 4, 2026.