Sac City, Iowa – The family of a man who went missing in northwest Iowa last fall has tragically announced that he has been found deceased. David Schultz, 53, was first reported missing by his wife, Sarah, on November 21, 2023. According to Sarah, Schultz’s body was discovered in a farmer’s field, and authorities were able to identify him by the boots he was wearing. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations reported that the body was found near the intersection where Schultz’s semi-truck was located on the day he disappeared. The remains are now being transported to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner for further examination.
Schultz’s disappearance began on November 20 when he left his Wall Lake home around 7 p.m. to pick up a load of pigs from a hog confinement in the Eagle Grove area. Video footage later showed Schultz at a truck stop around 11:15 p.m. that same night before his semi-truck was spotted heading west on Iowa Department of Transportation cameras. Cell phone data traced Schultz’s phone to the location where his semi-truck was eventually found – at the intersection of D-15 and N-14, where it was believed to have been since 12:40 a.m. the next day.
The morning after his disappearance, Schultz failed to drop off his load of pigs at the Wieckman hog buying station in Sac City, prompting Sarah to report him missing. Responding deputies later confirmed that the abandoned semi-truck at the intersection of D-15 and N-14 belonged to Schultz, with his phone and wallet found inside. The united Cajun Navy, a search and rescue group from Louisiana, organized a volunteer search effort involving nearly 200 participants, covering over 100,000 acres. Tragically, during the search, the body of another missing man, Mark Riesberg from Calhoun County, was discovered deceased in his vehicle.
Before Schultz’s body was found, a reward for information related to his disappearance had increased to nearly $30,000, showcasing the community’s efforts to aid in the search. Unfortunately, Schultz’s story ended in tragedy, yet the community’s response and the united efforts of volunteers demonstrate the compassion and dedication shown in times of crisis. The family is now left to mourn the loss of their loved one, and authorities continue their investigation to provide answers and closure in this heartbreaking case.