Authorities don’t suspect foul play in the death of David Schultz

UPDATE

SAC CITY, Iowa (KTIV) - The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says they have officially identified the body found in Sac County as David Schultz.

According to the DCI, they used dental records to confirm the body was the 53-year-old Wall Lake man who went missing in November 2023.

DCI says preliminary autopsy reports show no signs of trauma or serious injury. At this time, they do not suspect foul play in David’s death.

David’s body was found in the afternoon of Wednesday, April 24, in a farm field north of Sac City. DCI says the field was located in the 1900 block of Union Avenue, which is near the intersection where David’s abandoned semi truck was found.

Authorities say more information from the autopsy is expected in the future.

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SAC CITY, Iowa (KTIV) - For five months, the whereabouts of missing Sac County, Iowa man David Schultz had been unknown. But now David’s wife, Sarah Schultz says his body was found in a Sac County field on Wednesday, April 24.

The following day, April 25, Sarah held a news conference with area media to talk about the discovery.

“I’m glad we know where he is now,” said Sarah. “There’s still a lot of questions. Things don’t make sense but we have him now.”

Sarah reported David missing on Nov. 21, 2023. The day before, the 53-year-old trucker left his home in Wall Lake, Iowa to pick up a load of pigs from a hog confinement facility near Eagle Grove, Iowa, and take them to Sac City.

After he was reported missing, David’s semi was discovered abandoned at a rural intersection north of Sac City. Law enforcement and volunteers spent weeks searching the area, scouring through over 100,000 acres of land. Sarah says when David’s body was found on April 24, 2024, a farm employee discovered it in a field about 1.5 miles away from where David’s semi was located.

“From what I understand, he was laying on his back face-up,” explained Sarah in the news conference. “I know they identified him by the boots because the last time he went and bought boots, he bought two pairs of the exact same ones. And I gave the sheriff one of the newer boots to have in comparison because it is an exact match. And they did confirm it by the boots and then they also showed me a picture of his keys that were in his jeans pocket.”

Sarah said throughout this ordeal her biggest focus was to just learn where David had gone.

“I hope that we can find out what happened and why, but the biggest relief is that he’s here,” said Sarah. “It matters what happened to him but I’m just enjoying the fact that I know where he is now. I can sleep a little bit easier.”

The day the body was discovered, Sarah said she was told by her boss that the Sac County Sheriff wanted to talk to her. She says that was when she knew her husband had been found.

“This day I’d been dreading but hoping at the same time would come and it finally came, and it was surreal,” said Sarah.

Sarah says she’s thankful for the support from her family and the community during the search and now after David’s been found.

“People are already wanting to stop by and stuff, they haven’t forgotten. I’ve had several, several, several messages and calls, I have a really good support system,” said Sarah. “It’s been phenomenal, to say the least.”

She is especially grateful that David’s story did not fade into obscurity.

“Just thank you for not forgetting, that was one of my biggest fears that everybody would stop searching and he’s still missing. And I started counting because everyday matters. You know every day my kids’ dad is gone. It matters. He was such a good father, it’s not fair, I don’t know what happened,” said Sarah.

The next step for Sarah is waiting to hear back from the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office. They are the ones who will conduct the autopsy on the body. Sarah hopes in time her questions on what happened to David will be answered.

“I can’t think of any reason why he would’ve gone a mile and a half into a field and lay down and taken his coat off and shut his truck off. Truckers don’t shut their trucks off, they don’t shut ‘em off until they’re done for the day. He would’ve never shut the truck off. Things don’t add up,” said Sarah.

Jake Rowley with the United Cajun Navy, who was at the news conference to support Sarah, says their organization will be there to help the family with funeral arrangements.

At this time, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says a body was found near the intersection where David’s semi was found. But as of April 25, the DCI has not officially confirmed the body’s identity and is awaiting an autopsy report. We’ve reached out to the Sac County Sheriff’s Office for information and they say the DCI will release more details in the future.

Following David’s disappearance, law enforcement compiled a timeline of his last known whereabouts. That timeline can be seen below:

• David left his home in Wall Lake around 7 p.m. on Nov. 20.
• He was scheduled to pick up a load of pigs from a hog confinement near Eagle Grove and take them to Sac City.
• Witnesses confirmed David picked up the livestock and left around 10:50 that night.
  • He was driving his semi-tractor-trailer.
• Shortly after - investigators say he can be seen on surveillance video at a truck stop east of Fort Dodge.
• David leaves the stop in his semi and heads west.
• Cell phone data shows his phone traveled to a rural intersection north of Sac City.
• Authorities found David’s truck at that intersection the following day - with his cellphone and wallet still inside.

David’s wife reported him missing on Nov. 21 after learning he never made it to the drop-off location.

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SAC CITY, Iowa (KTIV) - After months of searching, a family member says the body of missing Sac County, Iowa man David Schultz has been found.

David’s wife, Sarah Schultz, has told KTIV that his body was found in Sac County on Wednesday, April 24. Sarah told KTIV reporter Matt Hoffmann that David was found in a farmer’s field and the Sac County Sheriff’s Office identified him by the boots he was wearing.

Sarah says David’s body was found 1.5 miles west of where his truck was located after he went missing in November 2023. According to Sarah, the body is being sent to the Iowa State Medical Examiner for official identification.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has confirmed a body was found in a Sac County field shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday. They also confirmed the body was found near the intersection north of Sac City where authorities located David’s semi. DCI has not yet released the identity of the body.

The Sac County Sheriff’s Office says they will not be releasing any information at this time.

Fifty-three-year-old David Schultz was a trucker from Wall Lake, Iowa, who was reported missing on Nov. 21, 2023. After his disappearance, law enforcement put together a timeline tracking his last known whereabouts:

• David left his home in Wall Lake around 7 p.m. on Nov. 20.
• He was scheduled to pick up a load of pigs from a hog confinement near Eagle Grove and take them to Sac City.
• Witnesses confirmed David picked up the livestock and left around 10:50 that night.
  • He was driving his semi-tractor-trailer.
• Shortly after - investigators say he can be seen on surveillance video at a truck stop east of Fort Dodge.
• David leaves the stop in his semi and heads west.
• Cell phone data shows his phone traveled to a rural intersection north of Sac City.
• Authorities found David’s truck at that intersection the following day - with his cellphone and wallet still inside.

David’s wife reported him missing on Nov. 21 after learning he never made it to the drop-off location.

Volunteers and law enforcement spent weeks looking for David, with over 100,000 acres being searched.