Found Deceased MO - David Koenig, 25, msg'd friends "might be in trouble, need help", Branson, 8 Feb 2020 *reward*

Looking at the area on Google Earth, if I were conducting a search, it would be in the wooded area between Frank Rea Blvd and Wildwood Dr to the river, and the river itself. Best time to search would be fall after a frost and early spring before everything turns green. A drone search would also be a good idea.

Family of missing man in Branson continues to look for answers with organized search parties

Great post! Very informative & great suggestion concerning a search.

There was a search done in the wooded area between Peach Tree Inn and Fall Creek Road.
I’m unsure how extensive it was. I believe it was organized by family with the help of about a dozen people.
I’ll keep looking to see what other areas have been searched as well.
 
All of this belongings came up missing from his girlfriends house shortly after he went missing. She (the girlfriend) has a criminal record for drugs, and within a couple of weeks of Daves disapearance she had a new boyfriend. That all just seems suspicious to me. I wonder if he was in trouble due to something going on with the gf. They had just split up right before. That is why Dave was staying at the Peachtree Inn, which is a very shady place by the way.
 
A big article about the case (August 24, 2021).

It’s now been more than 18 months since Tracy Koenig has been able to see her son.

MMA fighter Dave Koenig went missing on Feb. 8, 2020. He was last seen at the Peach Tree Inn, 2450 Green Mountain Dr, Branson. Koenig was friends with the owner of the Inn, and had stayed there for a couple nights before his disappearance.

More at Koenig family still searching for son missing over 18 months
 
I had a very short stint in amateur MMA as I got interested in it late in life (50). I did get to train with Bas Rutten and Randy Couture of UFC fame. One thing I can tell you is that it really beats up your body and multiple concussions are normal and can lead to cognitive issues. There is no health insurance and the sport is highly competitive and you can go from a "someone" to a "nobody" at the drop of a hat. Many fighters get discouraged or leave due to health issues. You end up paying an even higher price later in life when injuries manifest themselves in arthritis, mobility and other health issues.

I could see this as being a walk away due to health or competitiveness challenges. Only his family can provide information as to his mental state prior to going missing. I doubt Tracy was at a level that another fighter and his backers would consider him a threat.
 
I had a very short stint in amateur MMA as I got interested in it late in life (50). I did get to train with Bas Rutten and Randy Couture of UFC fame. One thing I can tell you is that it really beats up your body and multiple concussions are normal and can lead to cognitive issues. There is no health insurance and the sport is highly competitive and you can go from a "someone" to a "nobody" at the drop of a hat. Many fighters get discouraged or leave due to health issues. You end up paying an even higher price later in life when injuries manifest themselves in arthritis, mobility and other health issues.

I could see this as being a walk away due to health or competitiveness challenges. Only his family can provide information as to his mental state prior to going missing. I doubt Tracy was at a level that another fighter and his backers would consider him a threat.
From what I read, his MMA career has been overstated. He only had a 4 fights and they occurred years before he disappeared over a period of a few months. It may have been something he was interested in continuing, but for whatever reason, his last recorded fight was about 3 years before he went missing. So, I don't think his disappearance had anything to do with his MMA career
 
I had a very short stint in amateur MMA as I got interested in it late in life (50). I did get to train with Bas Rutten and Randy Couture of UFC fame. One thing I can tell you is that it really beats up your body and multiple concussions are normal and can lead to cognitive issues. There is no health insurance and the sport is highly competitive and you can go from a "someone" to a "nobody" at the drop of a hat. Many fighters get discouraged or leave due to health issues. You end up paying an even higher price later in life when injuries manifest themselves in arthritis, mobility and other health issues.

I could see this as being a walk away due to health or competitiveness challenges. Only his family can provide information as to his mental state prior to going missing. I doubt Tracy was at a level that another fighter and his backers would consider him a threat.
THE Bas Rutten ? That's amazing! I know who Randy Couture is, but I always liked Bas Ruttens attitude - I do think the MMA facet to this is hyped a bit
 
SEP 5, 2021
Branson family hires high profile private investigator to join search for missing son (ky3.com)
[...]

Tracy Koenig said, “We’re just trying to do everything that we can.”

That includes putting up billboards throughout the Ozarks. They are hoping that someone somewhere will say something.

[...]

The Koenigs say David Marshburn has agreed to work the case.

He’s not only a bounty hunter but a private investigator whose work on missing persons cases have been featured on national programs like NBC’s Dateline.

[...]

Marshburn will be working with the Branson Police Department on their efforts to find David.

[...]

The Koenigs say that David Marshburn will be in the Ozarks sometime this fall.

[...]
 
Father of missing Branson man breaks silence on his son’s disappearance

Sept 5
It’s been 18 months since amateur MMA fighter, David Koenig, vanished.

For the first time, his father, Rick is speaking only to KY3 about his son’s disappearance and how the family is coping.


His family is still searching for answers.

“I’ve got a lot of, I would say, a lot of emotion, a lot of feelings. I kind of like to keep it inside,” Rick said.

David’s mother, Tracy Koenig, says her husband has been the family’s rock.


The Koenig family is vowing to continue their search, hoping to bring David home.

“I have to push forward. I don’t have a choice because Dave needs us,” said Tracy Koenig.

Rick Koenig said, “It’s never going to end until something comes about it.”

If you have any information on David Koenig’s whereabouts please contact the Branson Police Department. You can remain anonymous.
 
A big article about the case (August 24, 2021).

It’s now been more than 18 months since Tracy Koenig has been able to see her son.

MMA fighter Dave Koenig went missing on Feb. 8, 2020. He was last seen at the Peach Tree Inn, 2450 Green Mountain Dr, Branson. Koenig was friends with the owner of the Inn, and had stayed there for a couple nights before his disappearance.

More at Koenig family still searching for son missing over 18 months

@GuyfromCanada thanks for sharing this article

To Note:
•David was staying at The Peach Tree Inn (owned by a friend) for a couple days before he went missing
•On the night David disappeared he sent texts to two of his friends to help him because he felt he might be in danger.
•His phone could only send messages because he had a used phone which could only connect to Wi-Fi.
•Both friends have shared the texts that were sent
•David’s mom feels that neither friend read too deep into the texts; he never said someone was after him, instead he said he might be in some trouble and could use some help and he needed a ride.
•he also mentioned he needed to keep ‘hands free’.


In regards to the delay in reporting David missing:
•he’s previously gone “off the grid” due to addiction
•him & his mother argued days prior and he was “pulling a Dave”

The Investigation
•Dave’s missing person case is open and active
•his mother is frustrated with the lack of progress, but believes the Branson PD and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are doing what they can do on the case
•she is also frustrated the FBI will not become involved because Dave’s case doesn’t meet the criteria of foul play being proven and the case going over state lines.
•A private investigator has taken on the case and will soon be in the area to investigate
•looking for that one big piece to help find David
•there’s been varied accounts of the circumstances around his disappearance
•A $25,000 reward has been offered to anyone who can provide information which leads to finding Dave Koenig.
 
I wonder what “ keep hands free “ means. Sadly it sounds like a deal gone bad. I truly hope they find him, the not knowing is beyond horrible.

Koenig family still searching for son missing over 18 months

His mother’s theory on the “hands free” meaning:

But he also mentioned he needed to keep ‘hands free’. We all thought it meant ‘off the grid....no phone for awhile’. Now when I think about it....I think he meant he needed to keep ‘hands free’ to protect himself.”
 
Just wondering, would it be the same David Koenig? Might also been in trouble earlier in his life? One charge in 2012 and two charges in 2013.
Two charged with stealing safe from suspect’s home
I would definitely say it is. Sadly that’s where addiction takes them. Years of roller coaster rides, in and out of rehabs and active using. It’s horrible for the addict and just as bad for the family that loves them. It would be wonderful to think he ran off and he’s in another state getting his life together. However I don’t think that’s the case. Either he overdosed or it’s a deal gone wrong, I’m leaning more towards a deal gone wrong or he ripped the wrong person off. It’s not surprising the girl friend moved on, relationships among users are mainly about the drugs. The place he was staying is owned by a friend, I think… I read. This person should have more information. Was any of his belonging left at this place. I would say he’s not far away, he’s just been missed during the searches. JMO
 
Log In or Sign Up to View Mystery of the Missing Fighter! shared [UPDATED] Trailer to the documentary being put together on David’s Disappearance

18 Months Later - [UPDATE] FINDING DAVID Trailer HD #1
 
Branson, Missouri man Dave Koenig has been missing since March 2020

Latest article; September 28

Tracy Koenig continues searching for her son.

Koenig has been searching for almost 19 months. For many in Springfield, the case is likely known due to national TV coverage or a handful of huge billboards along Highway 65 and within Springfield city limits that Koenig said went up about four months ago.


But answers as to what really happened are slow to come, if they're coming at all.

Koenig brings a tirelessly positive energy to her quest, said Damian Porfirio, a Branson director-producer. With the Koenig family's cooperation, Porfirio is at work on a documentary film about Dave's disappearance. Porfirio, who sometimes works professionally under the name Damian Costello, said he's interviewed at least 20 subjects for "Finding Dave." He won't finish the film, he said, until it's clear where Dave Koenig can be found.

….

"We still have no answers," his mother told the News-Leader on Thursday. "I feel like Branson police are doing whatever they can, with their hands being full with other cases, but they're not able to dedicate enough time to my son that needs to be dedicated. They're just not capable of it. It's not that they're not trying."

….
Earlier this month, Koenig said the family linked up with a nationally known private investigator, David Marshburn.

"He works one case at a time," Koenig said, and her hope is that beginning soon, Marshburn will be able to unlock leads that others haven't. Marshburn is expected to active

"He works one case at a time," Koenig said, and her hope is that beginning soon, Marshburn will be able to unlock leads that others haven't. Marshburn is expected to actively look into the case this fall, she said. (Marshburn couldn't immediately be reached by the News-Leader for this report.)
 
Search efforts for missing Branson man continue

Efforts to find the amateur MMA fighter will continue on Saturday, October 23. A search party has been organized to comb through parts of Hollister.

If you’d like to volunteer you can find registration information here.

Authorities confirm that his disappearance is still an active investigation. Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Branson Police Department.

You can remain anonymous.
 

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