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

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

It’s VERY expensive to uncontaminate a farm, in excess of $20,000 for a very small operation. You have to remove layers of soil (the poop), burn/bury things in a very specific manner. It’s cumbersome, I can definitely understand why if you had sick pigs you would want to pull a swap like this, if you didn’t have the right insurance it would easily put you out of business and bankrupt you.

In the UK we had an outbreak of CJD / Mad cow disease a few years ago and farmers had to destroy and burn their entire livestock etc as described

 

[tarabull]

Recent arrests in Iowa fwiw:

Livestock Dealer and Four of Its Managers Sentenced in Widespread Pig Fraud Scheme

www.justice.gov

ETA: It might be about what David knew or what someone or some people thought David knew.

 

[tarabull]

Wondering if David had a niggly feeling he was being followed, and that's why he pulled in at MM126 and seemingly did almost nothing.

 

[neesaki]

Wow that's a far out theory! Piglet switching. Anything is possible right but why? Would it ever be worth the time, effort, planning, and cost to switch out 100 terrible piglets for 100 excellent piglets? Maybe...

JMO MOO

Maybe the pigs were drug mules, and had to be switched to the non drug mule pigs.
I can hardly believe I’m saying that.

 

[neesaki]

Recent arrests in Iowa fwiw:

Livestock Dealer and Four of Its Managers Sentenced in Widespread Pig Fraud Scheme

www.justice.gov

ETA: It might be about what David knew or what someone or some people thought David knew.

Could he have been a witness in some kind of fraud scheme?

 

[adot0902]

Maybe the pigs were drug mules, and had to be switched to the non drug mule pigs.

I can hardly believe I’m saying that.

I can’t believe I’m saying this. But I think they were too little to introduce foreign objects inside them, they’d get infections and it would be a mess. But I’m open to an argument that baby pigs would be quality drug mules.

 

[neesaki]

I can’t believe I’m saying this. But I think they were too little to introduce foreign objects inside them, they’d get infections and it would be a mess. But I’m open to an argument that baby pigs would be quality drug mules.

I promise there’ll be no argument from me.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Could he have been a witness in some kind of fraud scheme?

It seems the 'far out' theory is not so far out after all! Could be on to something here.

 

[tarabull]

From Dec 23

Rock Rapids man pleads guilty of defrauding pork producers

A Rock Rapids, Iowa, man has pleaded guilty in federal court of manipulating weights of hogs in order to defraud producers.

siouxcityjournal.com

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

From Dec 23

Rock Rapids man pleads guilty of defrauding pork producers

A Rock Rapids, Iowa, man has pleaded guilty in federal court of manipulating weights of hogs in order to defraud producers.

siouxcityjournal.com

I'm absolutely not saying DS was involved in any of this type of thing.

But, if someone were defrauding the piglet trade, it would stand to reason they'd pick the 'after hours' drop off times when places like Weichman's remain un-staffed overnight? So that way fiddling the weights or the paperwork or doing strange things or having sickly or underweight looking piggies may not go so easily noticed?

Since DS was around and about at this time of night maybe he would cross paths with nefarious types either going to W's before or after him or just traversing the roads in general, maybe picking up from the same piggy loading station etc.

Or he could be under pressure to switch out some hogs from pork fraud gangsters. Seems like such a long slow burner of a fraud but who knew... !

JMO MOO

 

[on the case]

Recent arrests in Iowa fwiw:

Livestock Dealer and Four of Its Managers Sentenced in Widespread Pig Fraud Scheme

www.justice.gov

ETA: It might be about what David knew or what someone or some people thought David knew.

I'm 62 and can't believe what I just read. I would never think, I could never imagine it, but there it is in print. I guess the farming community is no different committing fraud than any other entity. And to find out this has been going on for nearly 20 years in Iowa of all places. So there you go I guess Dave Schultz could have knowledge of some fraud and probably not even this case. Wow ! The other things I've been pondering is why didn't Dave give one of his twins a hug and kiss before leaving that night? I know they claim he was running late and didn't have time, but that is just untrue. A hug and kiss takes seconds and would have no impact on him being late. Furthermore he wasted I think it was 16 minutes at the truck stop? I can't remember. Anyway he had time to scroll through his phone and was seen frantically searching the truck on video but not enough time to kiss and hug one of his 10 year old twins. It just doesn't make sense.

 

[OldAce]

Wow that's a far out theory! Piglet switching. Anything is possible right but why? Would it ever be worth the time, effort, planning, and cost to switch out 100 terrible piglets for 100 excellent piglets? Maybe...

JMO MA

Somewhere; back up in these post, it is stated DS was picking up a load of cull pigs." "Cull" would indicate a lesser quality.

 

[TwoDaysL8r]

In order to perpetrate livestock fraud, he'd have to actually deliver the livestock, be it counterfeit, whatever. I'm certain whatever happened had nothing to do with the poor piglets left in his trailer overnight.

 

[OldAce]

Wondering if David had a niggly feeling he was being followed, and that's why he pulled in at MM126 and seemingly did almost nothing.

Somewhere; back up in these post, it is stated DS was picking up a load of cull pigs." "Cull" would indicate a lesser quality.

Could have well been that DS had some foreboding/suspicions and pulled over; ostensibly to check the load/rig, but was holding a 911 call on screen ready to send if whatever he was concerned with materialized.

 

[tarabull]

I don't think David was committing livestock fraud. It's a lot easier to believe someone else is/was and David knew or a paranoid someone thought David knew.

IF he really was carrying cull, it does make things even more interesting...IMHO MOO OINK ETC

All David ever had to do, was pick up and deliver pigs, no more, no less. Easy peasy lemon squeezey...what could ever go wrong???

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

I'm 62 and can't believe what I just read. I would never think, I could never imagine it, but there it is in print. I guess the farming community is no different committing fraud than any other entity. And to find out this has been going on for nearly 20 years in Iowa of all places. So there you go I guess Dave Schultz could have knowledge of some fraud and probably not even this case. Wow ! The other things I've been pondering is why didn't Dave give one of his twins a hug and kiss before leaving that night? I know they claim he was running late and didn't have time, but that is just untrue. A hug and kiss takes seconds and would have no impact on him being late. Furthermore he wasted I think it was 16 minutes at the truck stop? I can't remember. Anyway he had time to scroll through his phone and was seen frantically searching the truck on video but not enough time to kiss and hug one of his 10 year old twins. It just doesn't make sense.

I imagine this piggy fiddle racket would be scandalous news amongst the farming / trucking / meat industry but what do I know?

Re DS running late - well my assessment of this is that depending on what your goals are then 'running late' isn't necessarily referring to a single time line cut off point.

Perhaps when he came home to quickly wash and change he *was* 'running late' but then he made up for lost time, the hogs were loaded quick enough or ready to go etc, that by the time he reached the truck stop he was no longer 'late' but 'in a timely fashion'. Perhaps a previous trucker had requested he hold off for half an hour as they were still unloading at Weichman's or who knows what sort of thing can arise, at which point he'd have gone from 'running late' to 'being early' if you see what I mean.

I'm not saying any of that actually happened. I guess he was rushed and maybe the son was on the other side of the room and he just was feeling focused.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Somewhere; back up in these post, it is stated DS was picking up a load of cull pigs." "Cull" would indicate a lesser quality.

We're on a rapid learning curve about the piggy trade here!

 

[OldAce]

I don't think David was committing livestock fraud. It's a lot easier to believe someone else is/was and David knew or a paranoid someone thought David knew.

IF he really was carrying cull, it does make things even more interesting...IMHO MOO OINK ETC

All David ever had to do, was pick up and deliver pigs, no more, no less. Easy peasy lemon squeezey...what could ever go wrong???

A man can disappear without an apparent trace hauling hogs up in Iowa... Risky

 

[OldAce]

We're on a rapid learning curve about the piggy trade here!

About 80 years ago I was heavily involved in raising hogs on our farm in Mississippi. I got to feed, ring their noses, help with castration/haul with a farm tractor and trailer to the packer. No where near the magnitude that has evolved, but I am well aware; then and now, feeding/handling hogs is a "messy" business. Fudging on weights by a buyer was known and watched even then. A top hog then was (as I remember) 200 to 220 pounds) and St Louis mkt was say $0.25 per pound. But, if the buyer (packer) said a couple of them looked a little light, he could only give $0.23 per pound.
Or they were heavier (easy with a hog on corn) and still out of the "top" price band.
You were at his receiving yard, your hogs on his scales, he was the "Market". Take the price an go home with a check, or reload them and take home. Folks, fraud has been prevalent from $1.00 to millions for years... I was 8 years old then.
(Addendum) It is almost impossible to tell the ham from a 199 lb hog from one from a 221 lb hog. Yes, I have worked in a packing house.2

 

[mst]

David had nothing to gain by any manipulation of weights and nothing to lose. He was just the delivery guy