IA IA - David Schultz, 53, Wall Lake, 21 November 2023 #2

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Along the same lines, ignore that he left $2k and his wallet behind and this looks a whole lot like like he left voluntarily.
I just don’t see it. He makes a living as a truck driver, and I have trouble seeing him giving up his CDL, that’s all he knows. How will he make a living? I can see him having a temporary mental breakdown, so to speak, but in that case he wouldn’t completely disappear. He’d come to his senses and come home and he wouldn’t still be missing.
He doesn’t seem to me, from everything I’ve heard about him, to be like the type to self harm either, IMO.

I guess that leaves me with the belief that he was a victim of foul play. I think someone either forced him to drive his truck to that location, or someone else was driving the truck. JMO
 
SS said in an interview that he didn't use credit cards and that that amount of cash was normal "Sunday cash" that he would take out and have with him for the week. She didn't indicate that the amount was suspicious to her. Someone here commented that you also get a slight discount on fuel if you pay cash.
I understand why David might want to use cash to receive a discount on his gas. However, what if he needs gas in the middle of the night and the nearest station has pumps open, but the convenience store where you would pay cash is closed? We have been told this was the case at Marker 126.
So, did David gas up there? If so what did he use to pay? I read somewhere early on that David had a ”fuel card”. I cannot find the link. It would make sense that he had one for cases such as this. Also, many cards will also give you a discount when you use them.
Carrying large amounts of cash every week does not seem like a safe practice in this day and age.

What are Fuel Cards for Truckers?​

Fuel cards are essential for truck owners to manage their cash flow. They work like credit cards, allowing the purchase of fuel through the card and offering an extended payment period of 60-90 days.

Whether you manage a small fleet or are an owner-operator, a fuel card is a key tool to keep your business running smoothly.
 
Love's truck stops in Iowa (at least the three that I'm familiar with) have a 5cent per gallon cash discount. Right now, $3.73 per gallon, $3.68 when paying with cash. He probably gets roughly 6mpg and I'm guessing that truck probably has duel tanks, so probably about 300 gallon capacity. 5cents per gallon x 300 gallons works out to $15 savings per fill.

I don't know how common that is though, another way to get discounted fuel is with a fuel card. The drawback would be a fuel card is going to be brand specific, cash is accepted just about anywhere.

300 gallons at $3.68 per gallon, paid in cash, would be $1104.00 per fill.

Suddenly $2000 in cash doesn't sound like a lot.
 
How do you withdraw $2000 from bank on a Sunday?
Maybe he cashes a check on a Saturday morning, or another day of the week, keeping most of the cash at home and pulling from it as needed? His wife indicated in an interview that David is paid a paycheck from Les, his employer, and Les takes out the trailer rental fee from it.
 
And I believe diesel was around $4.17/gallon in mid-Nov - $1,251/fill.


And if we take @SharonNeedles estimate of 6mpg, a 300 gallon tank would do 1800 miles. Sac City to Eagle Grove is about 75 miles, so a 150-mile round-trip.

I believe it has been said Dave could deliver many loads in a day. Let's say four loads at 150 miles each, so 600 miles per day. It would only take THREE days to use a full 300 gallon tank of fuel at a conservative estimate.

You could be looking at $2500-$3000 just in fuel every week. Maybe more.
 
And if we take @SharonNeedles estimate of 6mpg, a 300 gallon tank would do 1800 miles. Sac City to Eagle Grove is about 75 miles, so a 150-mile round-trip.

I believe it has been said Dave could deliver many loads in a day. Let's say four loads at 150 miles each, so 600 miles per day. It would only take THREE days to use a full 300 gallon tank of fuel at a conservative estimate.

You could be looking at $2500-$3000 just in fuel every week. Maybe more.
That's just crazy! It makes me wonder why our food prices aren't 10x more than they are.
 
And if we take @SharonNeedles estimate of 6mpg, a 300 gallon tank would do 1800 miles. Sac City to Eagle Grove is about 75 miles, so a 150-mile round-trip.

I believe it has been said Dave could deliver many loads in a day. Let's say four loads at 150 miles each, so 600 miles per day. It would only take THREE days to use a full 300 gallon tank of fuel at a conservative estimate.

You could be looking at $2500-$3000 just in fuel every week. Maybe more.
That doesn't seem like much left over for income.
 
Combined with a $2,000 per month loan repayment and other living expenses, it really, really doesn't.

Sarah's comments make it sound like Dave needed a good long rest, but quite literally couldn't afford to take one.

There was a recent hog hauler accident reported on in Iowa that occurred at 4am. Do these drivers ever rest?

 
I don't know the answer to your question, but it wasn't a Sunday. Dave picked up his last load on Monday, November 20th and was reported missing on Tuesday, November 21st. He might have withdrawn the cash on Monday.
She called it "Sunday" money. I do recall him having a debit card because she mentioned using it to buy something in one of her interviews
 
She called it "Sunday" money. I do recall him having a debit card because she mentioned using it to buy something in one of her interviews

I'm not sure if I've seen the interview where Sarah referred to "sunday money", could you please link it?

Getting $2000 every Sunday does sound a little odd, if indeed Dave was.
 
DBM...can't link source.
 
Last edited:
Thank you for this, it really helps!
Quoting...
Going back to the beginning, this is what I think we know based on the articles, press releases and interviews previously linked in the thread. Apologies if I've muddled or missed any details. Take it as IMO:

Dave was running late from a previous load and called his wife, Sarah, asking her to set out a change of clothes for him. When Dave arrived home between 7:00-7:30pm (sources differ on the exact time) he told Sarah he needed pants with deeper pockets, and either he or Sarah went upstairs to get a different pair. Dave gave Sarah and his grandson Niko a kiss as he was leaving, but told his 10-year-old son Joseph there wasn't enough time to give him a hug or kiss. Sarah remembers that Dave was wearing Wrangler pants and cowboy boots. She can't remember the colour of his shirt, and to my knowledge hasn't mentioned the colour of the pants or boots.

Dave arrived for the pick-up at Eagle Grove later than expected and was the last to load. The site has been searched and there's no publicly-released evidence of anything suspicious or unusual happening at the loading site. He left the loading site at 10:50pm.

Dave's trip from Eagle Grove to Marker 126 seems to have followed the expected timeline. He arrived at 11:15pm and stopped for 16 minutes. He was seen on camera checking the truck and his phone. There's no confirmation on whether he made a phone call. Other truckers have said this was likely a normal check on the truck prior to delivering a load. Nothing suspicious was seen on the video and there was no sign of a third party. Sarah looked at a video still and confirmed the man in the video is Dave, but she refused to watch the whole video because she didn't want it to be her last memory of him. Dave's truck was subsequently caught on a DOT camera heading west along Hwy 20 towards his destination.

Dave reached the Hwy 20/71 intersection within the expected timeframe at 12:18am. There's no evidence from cameras or paperwork that Dave ever reached his destination at Wiechman's, nor that he met with any third parties on the road--that doesn't mean he didn't meet anyone, but there's no publicly-released evidence that he did.

For whatever reason, Dave's truck turned north along Union Avenue instead of south along Hwy 71. The truck traveled four miles in the wrong direction before being parked on a quiet section of N14/Union Avenue close to the D15/190th St intersection. Data shows the truck traveling north to its final location, which it reached by 12:40am. There's no proof that Dave was driving, but equally, no evidence anyone else was. Driving from the 20/71 intersection to the N14/D15 intersection shouldn't take 22 minutes, but it's unclear if the truck was moving slowly, or remained stationary for extended periods of time along the way.

The parked truck was passed by a male friend who works feeding pigs, first at 5:30am and again on his return at 7:30am. The friend didn't think it was suspicious and assumed Dave was dealing with whatever the problem was.

Sarah was visited by Dave's boss later that morning, who informed her Dave never delivered his load. The boss and Dave's other colleagues spent the next few hours searching Dave's most likely route(s). Sarah called Dave's phone a number of times, without response. At 2:23pm Sarah reported Dave missing to the Lake View Sheriff's Office. She reported it as a medical issue because she had been told LE would respond more quickly--this may or may not have affected LE's initial handling of the case. At 3:04pm a Sac County road employee reported the truck to the Sac County Sheriff's Office.

A female officer called Sarah using Dave's phone, which was still inside the truck along with his wallet. Nothing was missing from the wallet, including $2000 in cash. Dave's old orange jacket was found in a ditch nearby, along with a pocketknife, phone charger and towel. Early reports of a muck boot and gloves being found may be incorrect. A tracker dog followed Dave's scent to a nearby field entrance, but reports differ on whether the dog lost the scent, or was called off due to poor weather conditions.

Thermal imaging cameras, drones, and ground searches were conducted for the next two days. Nothing was found. The weather was very cold with snow falling a few days after Dave went missing. It's unclear how wide the radius of the initial search was. Jake Rowley and the United Cajun Navy later conducted wide-ranging searches using drones, ATVs, horses and ground volunteers. They searched approximately 100,000 acres along Dave's presumed route. They also found nothing connected to Dave.

LE have examined many possiblities, including the possibility of Dave taking a flight or otherwise leaving the country. They have found no evidence he crossed any borders.

Dave's wife, Sarah, and his friends and colleagues don't believe he would leave by choice, nor that he would leave a load of pigs unattended. However, Sarah has admitted Dave has high blood pressure and would often tell her, "I can't take this." He has a loan for a new truck requiring $2000 per month repayments. Sarah quickly opened fundraising accounts after Dave went missing and admitted they relied on his paycheck.

Whatever happened, it happened when Sarah's daughter (Dave's stepdaughter) and grandson were visiting. Over the summer Dave had taken his twin sons, Joseph and Isaack, out with him on the truck for the first time. Dave grew up in Sac City and is familiar with the area.

Dave has had previous run-ins with LE and may have had previous addiction issues, but there's no public evidence of current problems, nor of any other drug-related issues.
















I agree with this and in my thinking, it puts David; alone and in control, at the stop sign of the exit ramp where tracking shows him turning right vs left.
This is where he apparently was taken control of to deviate.
Lets look at this. All is well, he coasts up to the stop to turn left. A person (male or female?) is standing off the ramp edge feigning injury or need. He is stopped, person clambers up to pass side. He flips the switch to roll the pass window partially down to inquire. Person offers believable story, he trips the door lock, person is in. person produces weapon and says turn right. Forced to drive as far as perps deem needed, taken from cab, scuffle ensues, coat with contents is lost, engine and lights shut off, and he is carted away in the vehicle parked up ahead in the field entrance way.
Further...
(2 people, ramp and car. Could be acting, could be someone known to him, and he assuming friend. Slow movement due to arguing, explanations, purposefully dragging out time for help.
It is motive and when discovered, all will come clear.
 
I understand why David might want to use cash to receive a discount on his gas. However, what if he needs gas in the middle of the night and the nearest station has pumps open, but the convenience store where you would pay cash is closed? We have been told this was the case at Marker 126.
So, did David gas up there? If so what did he use to pay? I read somewhere early on that David had a ”fuel card”. I cannot find the link. It would make sense that he had one for cases such as this. Also, many cards will also give you a discount when you use them.
Carrying large amounts of cash every week does not seem like a safe practice in this day and age.

What are Fuel Cards for Truckers?​

Fuel cards are essential for truck owners to manage their cash flow. They work like credit cards, allowing the purchase of fuel through the card and offering an extended payment period of 60-90 days.

Whether you manage a small fleet or are an owner-operator, a fuel card is a key tool to keep your business running smoothly.
Seriously doubt fuel was an issue. Most truckers run ample fuel levels. (unless weight on the tractor end is an issue, then low fuel to cross scales, refill and go. No scales in this trip.)

Main reason is, running out of fuel in a big diesel tractor is a major job to get fuel up from the tank you put it in, to the injection pump on the engine, then bleed all the air out to crank.
 
Maybe he cashes a check on a Saturday morning, or another day of the week, keeping most of the cash at home and pulling from it as needed? His wife indicated in an interview that David is paid a paycheck from Les, his employer, and Les takes out the trailer rental fee from it.
He was probably paid by direct deposit to his bank. Trips/deliveries made; trailer rental deducted, net to his bank. Cash a check Sat noon on way home, use to furnish the coming week. Simple.. Also, pay as go for weeks business needs, get receipt for EACH expenditure. Sat nite or Sun PM, sort out truck deductible expenditures vs any food snacks, etc. Post up to a simple home bookkeeping app. Lots, of small truck operators run that way.
 
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