Found Deceased IA - David Schultz, 53, Wall Lake, 21 November 2023 #3

[Joe Friday]

I have always felt that this was a medical episode. He may have had symptoms like stomach pain, a severe cramp, or pain in an arm, or even sudden blurred vision. He might have pulled over, and stepped out of the truck with the hope that a walk in the fresh air or a stretch would relieve the symptoms. Heart attack, a stroke or an aneurysm may be what happened here.

You would think if he was experiencing some sort of medical episode he would have called 911 on his phone? Not turned away from a town that had a 24 hour emergency room which was closer from the exit than where the truck was found.

And to turn and then drive that far.. Then get out after turning the lights and engine off and walk 1.5 miles back in the direction he just came from without his phone... It doesn't make much sense.

Even if he didn't have a medical episode what he did, if he did it by himself, doesn't make any sense. Even if he did commit suicide.

He very well could have died from hypothermia. If that is the case, why he took off walking is the mystery.

JMO

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

And apparently with his jeans pulled down, keys in his pocket, and in an area previously searched by LE...IMO

And t-shirt "up" is how I think she phrased that part. I wondered what that all could mean, except that critters would surely try to work around clothing, so maybe there's nothing unusual about how that was found on him...

Keys being found in his pocket doesn't sound like foul play to me. If someone ordered him out of the truck, wouldn't they take the keys, or order him out of it so quickly he didn't have time to turn it off? Unless they told him to, so no lights would be visible.

 

[Joe Friday]

And t-shirt "up" is how I think she phrased that part. I wondered what that all could mean, except that critters would surely try to work around clothing, so maybe there's nothing unusual about how that was found on him...

Keys being found in his pocket doesn't sound like foul play to me. If someone ordered him out of the truck, wouldn't they take the keys, or order him out of it so quickly he didn't have time to turn it off? Unless they told him to, so no lights would be visible.

I don't think the keys found in his pocket were the keys to the ignition in the truck. I think Sarah would have said something early on if the key was missing and she needed to possibly go home and find a spare key in order for the mechanic to drive the truck back to his shop.

Some truckers will carry a spare key so they can lock the doors and leave the truck running if they stop at a truck stop. This might have been the keys found in his pocket. Or house keys or keys to his pickup.

JMO

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

I don't think the keys found in his pocket were the keys to the ignition in the truck. I think Sarah would have said something early on if the key was missing and she needed to possibly go home and find a spare key in order for the mechanic to drive the truck back to his shop.

Some truckers will carry a spare key so they can lock the doors and leave the truck running if they stop at a truck stop. This might have been the keys found in his pocket. Or house keys or keys to his pickup.

JMO

Good point - as no one had said they had to jump the truck or find a spare for her mechanic to move it.

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

<modsnip>

What I find interesting is that Sarah and Jake spoke to the media today. Why did LE not make a statement, even if just to be vague and just tell us as we already know, that he was found and autopsy results are pending? LE usually steps in fairly quickly. Did they perhaps find a gun near him and need to run tests on that before making a statement?

 

[Indyannie]

Where are we hearing the part about David’s clothing and keys in his pocket? I watched the press conference but did not catch any of that…

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

Where are we hearing the part about David’s clothing and keys in his pocket? I watched the press conference but did not catch any of that…

In the news conference Sarah and Jake Rowley gave today. There are links above.

 

[Indyannie]

Here is the latest update from my local station:
(No bodily trauma, no foul play initially suspected)

Remains of missing Iowa trucker showed 'no signs of trauma or serious injury,' DCI says

A forensic autopsy of the body found Wednesday in Sac County was conducted by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner.

kcci.com

 

[Lisbeth_S]

Just catching up with the last 24hrs worth of info.

First of all RIP David and condolences to the family.
Unfortunately this outcome was not unexpected.

BBM

Rowley also claimed that Schultz's body was in a state of decomposition inconsistent with having been out in the elements for more than five months; the body, he said, was not as decomposed as it should have been under the circumstances, implying that "it got dumped later," he said.

"The decomposition does not line up with 186 days, from what I understand," Rowley said. (Schultz was actually missing 155 days.)

IF the body has been there all winter, decomposition would have been slowed down by the cold/frost/snow/etc, so it's going to be critical that the ME (+/- forensic anthropologist +/- forensic entomologist) work to establish the estimated time of death from several different angles.
This is exactly why Body Farms exist. To learn more and guide investigators to better understanding of the impact of the elements on a dead body.
JR's (or anybody else's) opinion matters zero. We shall see what the ME finds.

And why did you think he would park there and take off running?

IMO it needs further investigating. It may have been a medical or psychological reason. But if it involved a reaction to an illegal substance, there may have been a crime committed (not by him. By the person who sold him something... ) JMO.

You would think if he was experiencing some sort of medical episode he would have called 911 on his phone? Not turned away from a town that had a 24 hour emergency room which was closer from the exit than where the truck was found.

And to turn and then drive that far.. Then get out after turning the lights and engine off and walk 1.5 miles back in the direction he just came from without his phone... It doesn't make much sense.

Even if he didn't have a medical episode what he did, if he did it by himself, doesn't make any sense. Even if he did commit suicide.

He very well could have died from hypothermia. If that is the case, why he took off walking is the mystery.

JMO

In some cases a medical episode may make you disoriented, confused or cause hallucinations. Drugs can also do that obviously.
If he was experiencing any of those symptoms he may have turned the wrong way, stop at random and took off running whilst he was hallucinating.
I can see many scenarios where this could happen.

I'm really looking forward to the results of this autopsy.

MOO

 

[cocomod]

When are we going to stop wondering how a body can be found after the area was initially searched? It just happens all the time and most of the time no foul play has occurred. It feels strange, it feels wrong, but it just happens.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

Just watched the video posted above, in response to a question about the area David was found, JR said he was found along a creek bed.

Quite early on I posted about the possibility of David being in one of the nearby creeks/rivers, but people local to the area said the water level would have been too low.

If David was stumbling in the dark for whatever reason, he may have fallen into a creek (even a shallow one) and drowned or frozen to death. Sometimes a body in stagnant water turns to adipocere (Wiki Link) instead of decomposing in the usual way.

ETA: If he was in a creek, his body may also have moved some distance over the past six months.

This drainage ditch is about 1 mile away from where the truck was located:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

Quite early on I posted about the possibility of David being in one of the nearby creeks/rivers, but people local to the area said the water level would have been too low.

If David was stumbling in the dark for whatever reason, he may have fallen into a creek (even a shallow one) and drowned or frozen to death. Sometimes a body in stagnant water turns to adipocere (Wiki Link) instead of decomposing in the usual way.

ETA: If he was in a creek, his body may also have moved some distance over the past six months.

This drainage ditch is about 1 mile away from where the truck was located:

View attachment 499597

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Good point and yet surely they would have flown over the creeks and spotted him? It was odd to me that JR claims the level of decomp was “30-40 days” off from the timeframe. I mean, they also said it’s been a warmer winter than usual and not a lot of snow fall, but would he or someone be able to tell the decay was 20% off during these five months when weather does fluctuate as they said… cold nights, warm days, cold days, not so cold nights, and so on. Now if JR said it looked like he had only been there a month, then that’s something.

 

[neesaki]

'It's finally over': Widow talks about closure after body of missing Iowa trucker David Schultz found

Sarah Schultz said news of her husband's discovery was a moment she both dreaded and hoped for over the last several months. With every phone call and knock on her door she said she wondered, "Is this the day? Is this it?"

www.kcci.com

The third video down is the full press conference, which brought me to tears. I feel so bad for SS and her boys.
She mentions how DS was such a good father' and taught their boys they should open the door for women and respect their mother. That he was old school , and was always trying to teach them things, and didn’t want to leave and go anywhere without them.
She also touches on the point that some here dwelled on…. That he was in a hurry and didn’t have time to kiss the one son goodbye. Which brings her to tears again, as she says, he had no idea it would be his last time.

 

[neesaki]

A harvested corn field is not bare ground. There can be enough remnants of the corn stalk to make it harder to see a body. It's also possible he may have used some of the remaining vegetation after harvest to cover himself.
As time goes on, the remaining portions of the corn stalk may begin to break down, but they could have been a foot or more tall at harvest.

I was going by a video / photo of the fields. They appeared basically bare. Yes, a little height , but not much. Not enough to cover a grown man’s body back then, IMO. <modsnip: unnecessary>

 

[neesaki]

I 100% agree. I have thought since day 1 that David took off on foot from the truck and ran until he couldn't run anymore and would be found in the vicinity of the truck. As another poster said, they almost always are. I'm all but certain no foul play was involved and the UCN spokesperson is just trying to get attention.

IMO, the foolish public comments and constant drama will render the various iterations of the Cajun Navy persona non grata to LE. It's already happening. In the future I expect them to be stonewalled by LE if not outright asked to leave.

This is new to me…..Why was he running, and where did you think he was running?
Aside from that, IMO, the criticism of the Cajun Navy is not only unnecessary, but is rude and disrespectful, considering they donated their time and resources in this case, and in general, to locate missing persons. And are still providing support to SS at this tragic and heartbreaking time in her and her children’s life.
I just don’t understand this attitude at a time like this. JMO

 

[budle105]

Reminds me of those Adventures with Purpose guys that fueled the conspiracy bonfires with their speculation in the Kiely Rodni case.

Also, do people really think about how difficult it is and what kind of person would find it easy to move a decomposing body? I don't want to get too graphic but there's a lot of body fluids, disarticulation, etc. And why exactly would anyone do that? You're just creating the possibility of more contamination and evidence tying the body to you, rather than in a field, where the elements have eroded a lot of evidence.

The only case where I know that actually happened is Gannon Stauch, and his poor little body was inside of a suitcase. And don't get me started on the crazy that is Leticia Stauch!

Maybe he wasn’t dead and decomposing for all those days and months. Maybe he was alive and being held somewhere and was just recently killed a few months ago. They then discarded the body out in the trucks vicinity . Just a thought.

 

[Chimera]

Missing Idaho truck driver is found dead 10 miles from abandoned rig

The body of a missing truck driver has been found in an Iowa field close to where his abandoned rig which was carrying pigs was discovered just before Thanksgiving.

www.dailymail.co.uk

An unanswered question, Rowley said, was whether the the body 'was there the entire time,' or if it was recently moved to the spot where it was found.
Hmmm.
Hope his family gets answers.
No word yet , if foul play or self-harm ?
Omo.

Rest in peace, David.
My condolences to his loved ones.

 

[sunspun]

Missing Idaho truck driver is found dead 10 miles from abandoned rig

The body of a missing truck driver has been found in an Iowa field close to where his abandoned rig which was carrying pigs was discovered just before Thanksgiving.

www.dailymail.co.uk

An unanswered question, Rowley said, was whether the the body 'was there the entire time,' or if it was recently moved to the spot where it was found.

That headline says "truck driver is found dead 10 miles from abandoned rig"... I thought it was about a mile and a half from the truck where he was found? Or did I just make that up?

 

[Chimera]

That headline says "truck driver is found dead 10 miles from abandoned rig"... I thought it was about a mile and a half from the truck where he was found? Or did I just make that up?

Well considering the source... You may be correct.
I have been popping in and out of the threads as real life beckons, so I just found out whilst reading the DM about the discovery of David S.
This is sad and so odd.
Omo.

 

[cuffem]

That headline says "truck driver is found dead 10 miles from abandoned rig"... I thought it was about a mile and a half from the truck where he was found? Or did I just make that up?

I have been trying to find an article I read today that stated his keys were found in the truck and as far as I have read, this is not true. Correct? Keys were found in pants pocket.