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

[NoSpoonFeeding]

It is impossible to adequately search this area for a body, without hundreds of people walking it on a grid search. These guys could have a body very close to them and never see it.

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Normally the only fields covered in knee and chest high grasses/plants would be land in the Crop Reserve Program (CRP) because the fields are left not planted and only mowed occasionally. About the only place you see tall grass is along the road ditches and the edges and waterway's of the fields.

After harvest, a Soybean fields would only be a few inches tall. Corn fields are usually gone over with a stalk chopper to cut the remaining stalk closer to the ground before being baled for animal feed. So corn fields are cut pretty short as well.

Back in the day when corn was picked, the stalks would be left bent over several feet high, but with modern combines the stalks are cut by the corn head, which are then ran through the combine to shell the corn from the cob and the stalks and cobs are cut up into smaller pieces and spit out the back of the combine. Soybeans are ran through the combine and chopped up as well. I posted a few videos below to give you an idea of how a combine works and how short a field is after the process is completed.

About the only fields you see now days that are picked, rather than combined, are owned by Amish farmers and maybe for feed of certain pet animals such as horses, goats, ect. Not sure if there are any Amish living near where the truck was found. Even after picking a few acres of corn, the stalks would likely be gone over with a stalk chopper and bales, so they would be cut short as well.

When driving past a soybean or corn field it is easy to spot deer from a pretty far distance that have been hit on the road and end up lying dead in the fields. And deer are basically the same color so they blend in more with the color of a harvested corn or soybean field. I even see some deer lying in the ditches in the grass while driving by at highway speeds. I'm sure I drive by a lot of dead deer lying in the ditches that can't be seen as well. But I think it would be just as easy to see a dead human body lying in a corn or soybean field from the road or while driving across the field with an SUV or walking across the field on foot or from a drone fling over the field from a fairly long distance away as well. Maybe even more so with contrasting colors from the clothing.

While I agree it may be hard to see a human body lying in tall grass while walking past at a distance, it would be much easier to see a body that has been lying in the tall grass for a short period of time from the vantage point of a drone.

I sure hope you folks enjoy watching today's video presentations:

Shredding corn stalks (alloway flail shredder with john deere 4960)

JMO

The only way to find a body in fields is to walk a grid search, this has been proven over and over. Bodies are missed all the time in searches. They are not seen until one is upon them. The fields have not been mowed to the grown, there are numerous pictures of searches on ATV, they all show fields with grass higher than the knee.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Since the dog tracking stopped at the field drive, it seems pretty apparent that he got into/was put into a vehicle, IMO. I don't think he's in a field to be found. I'm actually impressed they brought a dog immediately.

That's what I think. So the person(s) who did this IMO badly drove his truck, slowly, to the stop point, must have arranged to meet someone in a vehicle -or- picked up their own vehicle they'd parked up at that location and then moved him.

As we know, sadly, from other cases, moving a dead weight of a grown man is not very easy if even impossible for one person. Farming men are fit and strong and know how to move weight around so just maybe he was dragged and maneuvered. If he had his coat and boots on maybe they pulled them off to make him lighter or drag him easier?

If he were murdered then the reason wasn't robbery - the murderers didn't take his money or possessions as they wanted no trace of him about their persons - they wanted to hide his body as swiftly as possible and have no connection to the crime. That makes it personal.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Also, I would suggest, for the same reason a murderer couldn't take DS's money, they couldn't leave his body just abandoned at the truck, dumped or dragged nearby - as the body must have had evidence connecting DS to the murderer somehow.

Now if he'd been shot by an unknown unregistered fire arm, the only thing needs disposing of is the firearm, not the body. If he'd been run over and killed by another vehicle, they could just leave him and drive on, be sure to clean up their vehicle.

Why move his body anywhere at all?
Was he taken alive to a different location even and killed there?

 

[24Roses]

I can't remember now. Is the "friend" who almost hit David's truck the same person who was also feeding farm animals? IMVHO, I have also seen it worded that one or the other was an aquaintance more so than a friend.

 

[seasideForest]

I'm pretty sure I read on this thread that the person who drove past DS's truck twice on his way to feed farm animals is more of an acquaintance and also an older man, about 70yo I think.

I'll leave somebody else to search the thread to find the source however.
MOO.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

I can't remember now. Is the "friend" who almost hit David's truck the same person who was also feeding farm animals? IMVHO, I have also seen it worded that one or the other was an aquaintance more so than a friend.

I'm unclear on this too as I *thought* that the 'friend' was also the same person, a male who was feeding pigs IIRC, but some people have separated it out into being two entities. The friend who told SS they nearly crashed into the truck in the dark and the friend who went past twice there and back in their work to feed livestock. Does anyone have clarification?

The livestock feeding male said they did know it was DS's truck because they felt assured that for whatever reason he was parked up he 'had it in hand' and there was nothing unusual (I paraphrase). I disagree. It was most likely extremely unusual and exceptional and if there was an 'it' that needed to be 'had in hand' then that directly implies an issue. It would be more accurate and less ambiguous to say I went past the truck parked dark at 'x time' and 'x time' and I recognised it as being DS's but didn't stop because I was in a hurry and decided not to stop and ask if he needed any help.

 

[annpats]

I'm not sure how much it happens these days, but I think the name came from the days when it was really common in the UK for farmers to walk cattle from field to field along rural roads. Collisions with cows were quite common.

We only have had "bull bars" on the front of vehicles in the UK in the last 20 years or so ...and really only on cars or trucks that are U.S. imports. Big Ford 4x4s, etc.

 

[24Roses]

I'm pretty sure I read on this thread that the person who drove past DS's truck twice on his way to feed farm animals is more of an acquaintance and also an older man, about 70yo I think.

I'll leave somebody else to search the thread to find the source however.
MOO.

Thanks! I do remember reading that now, too.

 

[24Roses]

I'm unclear on this too as I *thought* that the 'friend' was also the same person, a male who was feeding pigs IIRC, but some people have separated it out into being two entities. The friend who told SS they nearly crashed into the truck in the dark and the friend who went past twice there and back in their work to feed livestock. Does anyone have clarification?

The livestock feeding male said they did know it was DS's truck because they felt assured that for whatever reason he was parked up he 'had it in hand' and there was nothing unusual (I paraphrase). I disagree. It was most likely extremely unusual and exceptional and if there was an 'it' that needed to be 'had in hand' then that directly implies an issue. It would be more accurate and less ambiguous to say I went past the truck parked dark at 'x time' and 'x time' and I recognised it as being DS's but didn't stop because I was in a hurry and decided not to stop and ask if he needed any help.

Also, being early morning and still dark, I myself would be more concerned than if it was broad daylight and easier for David or any trucker to see what was going on and seek help on their own or have someone else see that help was needed. IMO.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Also, being early morning and still dark, I myself would be more concerned than if it was broad daylight and easier for David or any trucker to see what was going on and seek help on their own or have someone else see that help was needed. IMO.

This person is the only known being who has placed themselves at (the end of the) crime scene twice so anything they have to contribute warrants the highest level of scrutiny IMO.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

We only have had "bull bars" on the front of vehicles in the UK in the last 20 years or so ...and really only on cars or trucks that are U.S. imports. Big Ford 4x4s, etc.

I also live in the UK. Since 2007 it has been illegal to fit many types of bull bar to new vehicles because of the danger to pedestrians:

Bull bars

www.gov.uk

Most "bull bars" on modern vehicles are just a cosmetic accessory with no real function.

Real bull bars have been around a long time, but were much rarer in the UK because they were usually only used where they were actually necessary, not just to add some "bling".

 

[Joe Friday]

The only way to find a body in fields is to walk a grid search, this has been proven over and over. Bodies are missed all the time in searches. They are not seen until one is upon them. The fields have not been mowed to the grown, there are numerous pictures of searches on ATV, they all show fields with grass higher than the knee.
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I see plenty of fields that are harvested/mowed to the ground. IMO I don't think those fields would need to be searched by walking a grid search. But again that is just my opinion. If you don't agree, then we can agree to disagree.

Someone driving a pickup truck such as in the picture below or driving an SUV across one of these mowed to the ground fields I think could see a body from a fair distance away, same goes for looking at these fields using a drone or airplane. But sure a body could be missed there too, it happens. I see far more fields that are mowed to the ground, than ones with tall grass or ones that have not been harvested yet from looking at news reports and pictures.

If that is a soybean field you pictured, which I believe it is, and that field was later harvested, if David's body was in that field his body would have been found by the combine. That goes for any other unharvested field that was harvested since his disappearance as well.

Unless David walked into a field there should be tire tracks to where his body was left. Farmers are pretty keen on seeing things like tracks in their fields and the tracks would have led directly to the body. Obviously driving a vehicle through a standing corn field is going to be quit noticeable. A vehicle driving through a field of tall grass would also leave very noticeable tracks that time of year when the blades are frozen. I would be more worried about searching the ditches along the roads where tall grass would conceal a body if David's body was possibly dumped by someone, not so much in a field of tall grass or unharvested crop field. If David was a victim of self harm, I don't see him walking into the middle of a tall grass field and committing suicide there, or the middle of a corn or soybean field, harvested or not. I would expect to find him somewhere more secluded if this was a case of self harm, which I don't think it is.

JMO

 

[Joe Friday]

We only have had "bull bars" on the front of vehicles in the UK in the last 20 years or so ...and really only on cars or trucks that are U.S. imports. Big Ford 4x4s, etc.

In the US those are called Brush or Grille Guards that are put on the front of pickups and SUV's. Mainly for 4X4 off road driving. Might provide some protection from a deer hit, but likely still have damage.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Also, being early morning and still dark, I myself would be more concerned than if it was broad daylight and easier for David or any trucker to see what was going on and seek help on their own or have someone else see that help was needed. IMO.

I guess we can't discuss or sleuth anyone who's not named as a suspect?

Suffice to say, I've only got one theory now. I think it's pretty much why this case reminded me so strongly of poor Dylan Rounds.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

b

Incredible story and unbelievable that it took them so long to locate her.

You mentioned the huge combines in an earlier post today. Do folks here think if they hit something like a human body, or that of a deer (thinking of similarly sized items) that the driver would even notice?

I suppose because of the left behind shoe, everyone assumed she'd been dragged out of the car, which is a reasonable assumption in the conditions but she must have been dazed and confused when she set out walking. Poor love.

Has DS's truck been screened for blood spatter? Where were the keys to DS truck? Who turned it off and shut it down, they must have entered his cab and left some form of evidence?

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

I wish we knew if they used drones with HD cameras to capture video footage in their searches or if they just used thermal imaging drones. There’s been much discussion here about that topic as to how well a thermal imaging drone’s camera would or would not detect a body after a certain period of time, or one that may be in a building. Could not hurt for someone to request an SAR group with a skilled HD drone operator after their snow melts to at least re-search a mile or two or three radius.

 

[charminglane]

Right now I'm pondering the fact that the wallet with $2000 was right there in the cab.
Ripe pickings for anyone.
Maybe no one else ever was in the cab.

 

[BuySellTrade]

Right now I'm pondering the fact that the wallet with $2000 was right there in the cab.
Ripe pickings for anyone.
Maybe no one else ever was in the cab.

Could be staging. Sames as various items associated with DS outside the truck. That is what tend to think.

IMO DS left the site where truck was left in a vehicle. Also, that DS left alive and initially willingly. Also probably RIP DS. The mystery is what was the situation that resulted in the disappearance and what occurred after DS left the truck.

Could be DS self-harmed and is somewhere nearby undiscovered. Think of the woman in Maine who hung herself in a tree. But dogs in initial search would have had more scent trail to follow.

Hope LE knows far more than WS and mystery will be solved soon. Winter is no help.

 

[FromGermany1]

I wonder:
Is the benefit of "eliminating" DS eminent to someone, so that the author of the act could problem-free refrain from stealing the $2000 in the truck cab?
Has DS been a risk in some form to someone, who felt, DS would perhaps handle financial things always (?) in a naive way? If you are very enthusiastic about your job and can't imagine doing anything else, you might tend to see everything, that has to do with the job, too rosily. That's, why I'm using the term "naive"; it's speculation only.
I think about the old truck (being in repair), the current truck (funded), his workload (no longer to be expanded). I think of this:

https://www.ajot.com/insights/full/the-trucking-bubble-fallout-bank-failures-unveil-systemic-risks

Was DS affected by this, was he one of the sufferers?

 

[FromGermany1]

Google:
Schneesturm – Warnung
Iowa
vor 39 Minuten – National Weather Service
BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING... ...WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TUESDAY * WHAT...For the Blizzard Warning, blizzard ...

Even on TV I just heard of the weather warning for Iowa.