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

[Knox]

Someone in my family drove long haul for many years. I asked him what he thought could have happened.

He said that if something happens with the braking system, you have very little time before the breaks lock up completely, and if there was not an appropriate place to pull off, it's possible stopping in the road would be the only choice.

Other possibilities:

He wanted to check the livestock, perhaps worried that something wasn't secured.

Someone flagged him down for help.

If this was a company vehicle and he worked for a company:
Believe it or not some drivers will walk away from their truck because they are tired of being away from their families during the holidays. *This is unlikely because they will almost always finish their deliveries and leave the truck empty at a lot*
Not to mention, he left his wallet behind.


JMO

David is an "owner operator", he owns the truck but not the trailer - it's rented. He's what you would call an independent, who contracts out for hauling. His wife hasn't mentioned anything but livestock transportation, so not sure if he does other types of hauls.

It looks like an older Kenworth, not sure about ECM capabilities. But he was probably using paper logs, not electronic. Livestock are an "agricultural commodity" so there may be further FMC exemptions.

If he had a mechanical failure - wouldn't he have put reflectors/cones out, turned on the emergency flashers? As a commercial driver he's trained in what to do in emergency situations and should have had something in his truck to put out on the road. The whole thing is one big mystery and from what his wife says - very unlike David.

Sadly seems like something nefarious happened, especially since Cajun Army is searching 20 something miles away from where the truck was found - Brushy State Recreation Area.

Wall Lake to Brushy Creek State Recreation Area

www.google.com

United Cajun Navy

United Cajun Navy, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 167,699 likes · 616 talking about this. Disaster Preparedness, Relief, Recovery, Search and Rescue, Supply Distribution.

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[dulcinea]

If he'd had an issue with the truck, wouldn't he have notified someone? I'm thinking he'd alert another trucker, the place he was taking the pigs, call LE or a tow truck, text his wife or something. No one has heard from him as far as I understand. As Knox stated, no cones or flashers were used (that we've heard). The only way this makes sense to me in a non-nefarious way is if he had a medical emergency and stopped ASAP. But then where is he? I assume the area his truck was found was thoroughly searched. I suppose he could've just walked away, but I just don't get that vibe.

 

[Inthedetails]

He said that if something happens with the braking system, you have very little time before the breaks lock up completely, and if there was not an appropriate place to pull off, it's possible stopping in the road would be the only choice.

snipped

That is good info to know. What leads me away from that scenario is my understanding (and I could be wrong) that he passed the drop-off spot without stopping there.

This area is familiar to him, I'm assuming, so it's not like he got turned around, imo.

As for walking away from his life, I would consider that except he left the rig right on the road, which is a danger to others. Even if walking away, I don't think he would want to endanger others (plus leave hogs).

My hunch is he wasn't in the truck when it was abandoned. Not a fact, but speculation.

jmo

 

[Ravenmoon]

David is an "owner operator", he owns the truck but not the trailer - it's rented. He's what you would call an independent, who contracts out for hauling. His wife hasn't mentioned anything but livestock transportation, so not sure if he does other types of hauls.

It looks like an older Kenworth, not sure about ECM capabilities. But he was probably using paper logs, not electronic. Livestock are an "agricultural commodity" so there may be further FMC exemptions.

If he had a mechanical failure - wouldn't he have put reflectors/cones out, turned on the emergency flashers? As a commercial driver he's trained in what to do in emergency situations and should have had something in his truck to put out on the road. The whole thing is one big mystery and from what his wife says - very unlike David.

Sadly seems like something nefarious happened, especially since Cajun Army is searching 20 something miles away from where the truck was found - Brushy State Recreation Area.

Wall Lake to Brushy Creek State Recreation Area

www.google.com

United Cajun Navy

United Cajun Navy, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 167,699 likes · 616 talking about this. Disaster Preparedness, Relief, Recovery, Search and Rescue, Supply Distribution.

www.facebook.com

You are correct with the emergency flashers.
He absolutely would have done that. Do we know for sure that the flashers weren't on?
If they weren't,
It does make me lean towards foul play.

 

[Knox]

Sarah said that David’s boss arrived at her house Tuesday morning saying that they couldn’t find David. David was supposed to deliver a load of hogs from Eagle Grove to Sac City. After a search between the two cities, his truck was found Tuesday morning on the road, not pulled over, on northbound Highway 71 about five miles north of the Old Highway 20 intersection.

Sarah said the police called her from his phone Tuesday afternoon. She added that a friend of hers had nearly hit the truck earlier around 5:30 a.m.

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.

www.siouxlandproud.com

Not a single source- including SS his wife, have mentioned emergency flashers or reflective triangles. So I'm assuming that's not the case. It's a detail that would have been mentioned IMO.

 

[Inthedetails]

You are correct with the emergency flashers.
He absolutely would have done that. Do we know for sure that the flashers weren't on?
If they weren't,
It does make me lean towards foul play

If we go with the idea that someone else left the truck there, not David, it seems like that person would need a vehicle to leave the area??

Or hitch a ride? Or walk home or to another location?

jmo

 

[Ravenmoon]

If we go with the idea that someone else left the truck there, not David, it seems like that person would need a vehicle to leave the area??

Or hitch a ride? Or walk home or to another location?

jmo

True.
Perhaps he was followed?
I will admit in that case, leaving his wallet behind is odd .
It's difficult to understand if not robbery what another motive could be.


JMO

 

[Inthedetails]

His phone and wallet (with money) were found in the truck. His jacket was found in a ditch across the road from his truck.

I had wondered if he stopped for gas and possibly some food along the way. Along the route from Eagle Grove to Sac City there was only one obvious place to me for a truck to stop for gas. It's a Sinclair gas station with Sparky's One Stop convenience store and a Godfather's Pizza. The parking lot is very large and practical for tractor trailers. It's at the Hwy 20 Road 4 exit to Rockland about 3/4 of the way back to Sac City.

Since his phone was in the truck, I'm assuming LE checked it for messages and perhaps GPS tracking of the phone's movement?

jmo

 

[charminglane]

If this were tv, LE would ask if David had any enemies.
He seems like a family man, happy to see grands coming in from FLA. His wife says he goes to work, comes home, that's it.
It's baffling.

 

[ifindedout]

Was his log still in the truck?

 

[Stunned]

But do you enjoy the great outdoors??....I saw pigs camping in a travel trailer. bwahahahaha.

I’ve seen a huge pig on a leash on a mountain hiking trail!

 

[KMouse]

Drivers that don't own the trucks or trailers often have company installed GPS and cameras that face the driver and the road. Unlikely if he owns the truck. However does the trailer have GPS?
How much does he owe on the truck? Could there be a financial motive where he wasn't able to keep up with the payments?
The only non nefarious situation is a medical event but you would think the tracker dogs could find him as there wouldn't be a bunch of foot traffic to mess up the scent.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

If it's true that the truck was found north of its supposed destination of Sac City, and was pointing north, that alone is quite odd. Aside from the question of why it was parked in the middle of the road, and where David could have gone, where was the truck actually going to end up where it did?

 

[MrsWatson]

This is a weird one.

 

[Mauig’ma]

I live 40 minutes north. All I can say is there are a lot of “new” people in the area the past year or so. Not pointing fingers just my observation. Weird things been happening that never happened before. Stolen vehicles, thefts, robberies etc. happening in small towns. We never had to worry before. Now the world is changing and it’s a whole new ball game. Nothing surprises me anymore. I pray he walked away and is safe and warm somewhere. Prayers to his family.

 

[Mauig’ma]

If he’s not found by tmrw I have a few friends I’m rounding up to join the search. It’s getting very cold here. 30 degrees rn

 

[detectivewannab]

I think it started at the load-out site. Bushy Creek is not far from there. Then they had to get rid of the semi.

 

[Mauig’ma]

The question remains if his personal items were left behind along with the semi, what would anyone want with him? It makes no sense to where he would be

 

[Knox]

The question remains if his personal items were left behind along with the semi, what would anyone want with him? It makes no sense to where he would be

Money in his wallet to boot. Seems personal doesn't it?

 

[Snoopster]

It seems to me that LE haven't released much in the way of details. Most of the details have come from David's wife.

LE hasn't circulated an image of his truck, have they? If they thought he had come to harm they would been asking the public if they had seen the truck before 3:30am anywhere along the presumed route. They would also say when/where he was last seen. LE did a search in the area where his truck was found...looking for a potential body or evidence in addition to his jacket. Maybe they are now presuming that he took off to start a new life. Maybe there was too much stress in his life.

This doesn't account for the truck not being pulled off to the side, but maybe he wanted it to look like something happened. I'm just putting this idea out there since it would mean his disappearance was voluntary and he would still be alive.