Iowa DCI: Wall Lake trucker David Schultz's death 'not a homicide'

SIOUX CITY — State investigators have concluded after seeing final autopsy results that the death of Wall Lake trucker David Schultz — who was missing for five months until his body was found this spring — is not a homicide.

Schultz, a 53-year-old married father of twin boys, was found dead April 24 in a field in rural Sac County, not far from where his semi-trailer truck was discovered abandoned more than five months earlier.

Preliminary autopsy results released the following day indicated "no signs of trauma or serious injury" and authorities said they did not suspect foul play. State officials had been waiting for the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner to finish the forensic autopsy. The final results have not been publicly released and they might not ever be, according to Darrell Simmons, special agent in charge at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

"Normally, if it was a homicide, we would release that kind of stuff. That's not the case. It's not a homicide," Simmons said. "So I don't know that we would probably release anything more, since there's really no threat or concern to the community."

When asked to comment on the circumstances surrounding Schultz's death, Sac County Sheriff Ken McClure referred inquiries to Sac County Attorney Ben Smith. Smith said Tuesday his office will put out a news release after the DCI agent who has been helping local law enforcement with the investigation returns from vacation.

"We plan to comment in the coming days," Smith said.

Jake Rowley, a leader in the volunteer search for Schultz and a spokesman for the family, told The Journal in early May the family would seek out a second-opinion autopsy, saying that "I don't feel comfortable with the results of the initial autopsy."

In a text message Tuesday, Rowley said he has not seen the state’s final report.

The DCI has said Schultz was found in the vicinity of 190th Street and Union Avenue in Sac County, which is near where his semi-trailer was discovered abandoned the afternoon of Nov. 21, 2023. The body was found by "an individual who reported he discovered a body in his field," according to the DCI's initial news release.

Schultz was last heard from in the early morning hours of Nov. 21. His Peterbilt semi was parked in the middle of the northbound lane of County Road N-14 (Union Avenue), not far from where it intersects with D-15 (190th Street). The trailer he rented was loaded with hogs, but Schultz was nowhere to be found on that stretch of paved roadway, which is flanked by cornfields.

The truck reportedly was shut off, the lights were off and the key was in the ignition. Deputies found Schultz's wallet and cellphone inside. A towel, cellphone charger and pocketknife were found with his coat on the opposite side of the road, according to Sheriff McClure.

Mason Dockter of the Sioux City contributed to this report.