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

[JerseyWasHome2]

If David has walked away to start a new life, everything you say is absolutely true. But I still have a horrible feeling he may have finally taken as much as he could, and now be lying in one of the fields somewhere.

I'm not (yet) convinced he got into another vehicle.

I agree. I'm still leaning toward him not having been found yet, within a 10 mile or less radius. And would he even be discovered in the spring, by a farmer, if this is what happened? I imagine those plows on those massive farms are so huge you could drive over various objects and not even be aware. Not like you or I driving around our own little John Deere while mowing our lawns.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

No trace, but I think we know where they parked. Right where they might be expected to park.

...
Sarah repeatedly called David's cellphone every few minutes, but there was no answer. At 4:30 p.m., she said law enforcement officers called her from David's phone, and she headed out to the site where his truck was found.

Following the discovery, county investigators searched the area on foot and with a K-9, which tracked David's scent to a field drive. McClure said the track "wasn't very long."
...

Wall Lake trucker David Schultz disappears without a trace, leaving wife searching for answers

Since David Schultz went missing, the United Cajun Navy and volunteers have scoured more than 100,000 acres in and around Sac County. In the kitchen of his and his wife Sarah's home, is written a message on a chalkboard: "Bring Dave home."

globegazette.com

There have been conflicting reports about this, if I remember correctly. I think some reports have said the dog was called off due to weather conditions, specifically high wind.

Dave's scent trail *ending* at the field entrance, and the dog being called off when it reached the open field, would potentially be very different things.

 

[SharonNeedles]

There have been conflicting reports about this, if I remember correctly. I think some reports have said the dog was called off due to weather conditions, specifically high wind.

Dave's scent trail *ending* at the field entrance, and the dog being called off when it reached the open field, would potentially be very different things.

No weather issues at all, it was a pretty nice day.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

My only thought is that the drop off location for the pigs was in a much more populated area than where it was found. That means more security cameras and potentially more witnesses.
I think he knew the truck would be found rather quickly and the pigs would be okay.

Or -- if he planned his escape/departure to leave an empty truck after unloading, but the timing couldn't be postponed for some reason, and he was running late, so he still had the pigs at go time...

MOO

 

[detectivewannab]

This is confusing to me also.

Sarah and others say David would never let anything distract him from delivering a load. They also say he would give people a lift and try to help them, and have cited that as a possible reason for him driving in the wrong direction.

But it feels like those two things contradict each other to at least some degree.

It was Iowa's first cold snap when this happened. If someone was walking etc. Rural Iowa guys help help!

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

No weather issues at all, it was a pretty nice day.

View attachment 471431

As I said, there are conflicting reports. I can only point to what Dave's wife, Sarah, said in one of her interviews (BBM):

A search dog was used to look for David Tuesday, which had led them to his jacket in the ditch, but couldn’t go further due to the strong winds Sarah said. On top of the search dog, other authorities have been searching including a plane with thermal imaging, drones, and other searches.

Wife pleads to help find husband who went missing in Sac County

The Lake View Police Department is requesting assistance in locating a 53-year-old man.

who13.com

 

[SharonNeedles]

As I said, there are conflicting reports. I can only point to what Dave's wife, Sarah, said in one of her interviews (BBM):

Wife pleads to help find husband who went missing in Sac County

The Lake View Police Department is requesting assistance in locating a 53-year-old man.

who13.com

I guess I'm questioning why she would say that...

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

I guess I'm questioning why she would say that...

I'm not sure where your weather data is from, but the closest weather station I could find is at Storm Lake Airport, approximately 20 miles from where Dave's truck was found.

November 21, 2023 Historical Weather at Storm Lake Municipal Airport, Iowa, United States - Weather Spark

weatherspark.com

1898-1846 County Hwy N14 to Storm Lake Airport

www.google.com

It's possible that wind conditions were worse where the truck was found than where the measurements were taken.

 

[Seattle1]

I'd still like to know if the water at Brushy Creek State Rec area was searched as well as South Twin Lake (Rockwell City). Brushy Creek was mentioned earlier in "new evidence" by the US Cajun Navy searchers but all that's been published is 100K acres searched and nothing about any waterways.

 

[SharonNeedles]

I'm not sure where your weather data is from, but the closest weather station I could find is at Storm Lake Airport, approximately 20 miles from where Dave's truck was found.

November 21, 2023 Historical Weather at Storm Lake Municipal Airport, Iowa, United States - Weather Spark

weatherspark.com

1898-1846 County Hwy N14 to Storm Lake Airport

www.google.com

It's possible that wind conditions were worse where the truck was found than where the measurements were taken.

I used Weather Underground and the Ft Dodge station. Trying to make sense of what WeatherSpark is showing... If you compare Storm Lake to Ft Dodge it's showing much less wind than looking at either individually.

No worries tho, I don't think whether it was windy later in the day is really all that relevant to the case.

 

[Bogbacal2]

IMO, if DS was done and life was too much, why stop so close to where his load was going and not drop off the load? If this was a mental breakdown, I guess the brain doesn’t pick and choose to be logical at that point. I don’t know what to think anymore, but I have a gut feeling he’s in one of those fields nearby and hasn’t been found. In regards to thermal imaging, would it pick up a body if he was in a tall, brushy area?

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

IMO, if DS was done and life was too much, why stop so close to where his load was going and not drop off the load? If this was a mental breakdown, I guess the brain doesn’t pick and choose to be logical at that point. I don’t know what to think anymore, but I have a gut feeling he’s in one of those fields nearby and hasn’t been found. In regards to thermal imaging, would it pick up a body if he was in a tall, brushy area?

The only thing I can think of as to why he wouldn't have dropped off the piggies is to make it NOT look like he took off. Everyone said he was conscientious and would never have left them, so it would add to the theory of foul play.

The thing that worries me about thermal imaging, and others have mentioned the same here, is that once a person is deceased, it may not show anything. Not sure what time those planes were out there. And I also wonder if they would detect anything if the person was under a shed or in a grain silo, or in water, etc., and had been deceased for 12+ hours. IMO

Edited to add - here's a site on the topic, but it seems warm weather is key, and it wasn't warm there.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1355030617300540

 

[Joe Friday]

Search plane was out in the evening hours of the 21st. Took off from Iowa City at 19:16 CST and landed back at Iowa City at 23:43 CST TUESDAY 21-NOV-2023

N996CS Flight Tracking and History 21-Nov-2023 (KIOW-KIOW) - FlightAware

Track N996CS flight from Iowa City Muni to Iowa City Muni

www.flightaware.com

 

[Joe Friday]

Winds were gusting upwards of 20 MPH on the 21st in the early evening hours.

According to Sarah they were using the dog while she was there parked behind the truck. LE told her to stay in her car because the dog may pick up on her scent due to her and David smelling the same. Sarah said she couldn't really clearly see everywhere the dog went, but did see the dog being used.

 

[OldAce]

Just speculating on the fact that the convenience store/restaurant was supposedly closed when he got there so he couldn’t pay cash to fill up the semi.
If he didn’t go to get gas and he couldn’t go in the store for a coffee or snacks, why did he stop there for 16 minutes? Doesn’t seem long enough for a nap. He was also allegedly running late.
The video from the stop reportedly shows David walking around his truck and scrolling through his phone.

Probably to check the load and quick check tires and lights.
In hauling cattle and horses, most drivers will load, rearrange gear used and in cab preparing to hit the road. Then drive away a few miles to an open spot; preferably lighted, but vacant and room to walk all way round.
Stop, get out and walk slowly around the rig, peering thru the backlighted slats for any lying down already. You see only legs, all is up. They have in this short distance somewhat accustomed themselves to the shifting movements. Do not have to use a flashlight to inspect. As you walk around, you see any clearance lights not burning and can "kick the tires"
with foot or tap with a hammer. Vacant and open is to be reasonably safe from any mugging and if animal is down, you can shock with your hotshot in privacy. So many people take a stick stuck horizontally in as you beating the animal.
I have hauled a lot of cattle, WI to Miami, FL. This is cattle.
Hogs were usually large top hogs (230 to 250 lbs) and E. St Louis to packers on south. Sensible number loaded will have adequate room to shuffle together and no problem of down and trampled.
I never hauled these little pigs;or short distances, but feel the comparison is reasonable.

 

[Joe Friday]

Thermal imaging wouldn't be able to detect a heat signature through a building. Would be able to see heat in the grass or brush.

There was an escaped prisoner caught a few months ago using thermal imaging that was hiding in the woods. I think that was in New York or somewhere close.. Huge manhunt for the guy that lasted a week or longer.

 

[OldAce]

“Sarah said her husband parks the truck and trailer at his friend's mechanic shop in Wall Lake. So, after leaving home, she said he stopped there and probably spent some time talking to his friend, who was fixing up a yellow semi David had just bought. She said her husband planned to sell his red truck.”

Missing Iowa truck driver fuels speculation -- but not answers

Last month, the 53-year-old Wall Lake truck driver and father of 10-year-old twin boys disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

www.thegazette.com

This I always found a little curious. Why would SS say “David probably probably spent some time talking to his friend” when she knew he was running late? That doesn’t sound like a conscientious person to me. He arrived at the pickup location late and was the last driver to load that evening.
Was SS trying to account for some missing time/cover David for some reason? Running late/in a hurry doesn’t gel with spending time chatting with k friend to me.

"Some time" varies as in arriving he might ask mechanic if he had checked something mentioned earlier, describe a sound or "feel" as do you have any idea what it could be, etc.
Most conversations between a mechanic and the driver are completed at hook up as he steps down from cab, climbs up to connect air lines and light cord. Maybe outline something to do when he returns. Don't take long.
Edit..
Thinking here he was going over to pick up the trailer, or the whole rig. Doubt he drove it all to the house to change., tho nothing stated any other vehicle.

 

[Joe Friday]

I wondered about that as well, and it made me wonder if David is a talker. Some people are habitually late, mostly at their own doing, because they talk a lot! But, since David left around 7:30pm, it would have been dark and the friend probably would have been in the house, so it would seem to me like he would have just gotten into his truck and driven off, unless the friend was outside or in the garage working on cars/trucks.

Looking up Diesel Repair shops in Wall Lake I did find the shop I believe David used. On the Google page there is a picture of David's blue wrecked truck parked in front of the shop. Also according to the shops Google page, the shop is open 24 hours a day.

Wouldn't think there would be that much business in that small of town off the beaten path to be open 24 hours a day, but maybe.

 

[Seattle1]

Looking up Diesel Repair shops in Wall Lake I did find the shop I believe David used. On the Google page there is a picture of David's blue wrecked truck parked in front of the shop. Also according to the shops Google page, the shop is open 24 hours a day.

Wouldn't think there would be that much business in that small of town off the beaten path to be open 24 hours a day, but maybe.

View attachment 471508

IMO, Mechanic/Owner probably lives onsite or near and shop is more likely "on-call 24 hours" where trucker breaks down and Mechanic is able get rig towed to shop and begin working on the repair. Time is money and they'll work to get the customer back in business and on the road.

 

[charminglane]

"Some time" varies as in arriving he might ask mechanic if he had checked something mentioned earlier, describe a sound or "feel" as do you have any idea what it could be, etc.
Most conversations between a mechanic and the driver are completed at hook up as he steps down from cab, climbs up to connect air lines and light cord. Maybe outline something to do when he returns. Don't take long.
Edit..
Thinking here he was going over to pick up the trailer, or the whole rig. Doubt he drove it all to the house to change., tho nothing stated any other vehicle.

Great point.
When David stopped at home to wash up and get bigger pocket pants, was he driving his rig?