Relief but sorrow after missing Iowa trucker’s body found

No matter the weather or the occasion, Wall Lake trucker David Schultz always wore traditional cowboy boots.

His brown Wrangler boots with blue on the soles was a factor — along with dental records — in identifying the 53-year-old's body after it was found Wednesday lying face up in a field roughly 1 1/2 miles from where his semitractor-trailer loaded with hogs was discovered abandoned over five months ago.

"He always wore them in the summer and the winter, it didn't matter. He didn't wear work boots, just always cowboy boots and jeans," Sarah Schultz said of her husband, as she stood Thursday outside of the white, single-story Sac City Motel for a news conference. "He didn't like it when truck drivers would wear sweatpants and flip-flops. To him, that's just appalling. It's disgusting. He does not respect that. He feels like he's representing the trucking community."

Thursday, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation positively identified the body as Schultz — and partially answered one of the mysteries since he disappeared:

“Preliminary autopsy results show no signs of trauma or serious injury. Further autopsy test results are pending,” the DCI said in a news release. “Authorities do not suspect foul play in the death of Schultz.”

However, the DCI did not say what led authorities to that conclusion, or describe any medical issues that may have caused Schultz to park his loaded truck and leave it.

Sarah Schultz said she has felt relief and sorrow since she learned her husband's body had been discovered by a farmer in his freshly tilled field. The farmer, who was not identified by authorities, found the body shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday in the 1900 block of Union Avenue in Sac County, near the intersection where Schultz’s truck was found abandoned.

"I'm glad we know where he is," said Schultz, who said her husband's body was at the State Medical Examiner's Office and, at the time she spoke, was being autopsied. "There's still a lot of questions. You know, things just don't make sense."

David Schultz, a married father of 10-year-old twin boys, vanished before last Thanksgiving. He was last heard from in the early morning hours of Nov. 21, 2023, according to the Lake View Police Department.

From what she understands, Sarah Schultz said her husband's body was found clad in a T-shirt, which was pulled up. She said law enforcement didn't show her a photo of the cowboy boots, but she said they were the same brand her husband always wore.

"He had underwear on, and I think his jeans were down. His cowboy boots were on, I think," she said. "I know they identified him by the boots, because the last time he went and bought boots, he bought two pairs of the exact same ones. I gave the sheriff one of the newer boots to have in comparison."

Jake Rowley of the nonprofit United Cajun Navy search team, who appeared at the Thursday morning news conference with Sarah Schultz, said the body was found inside a 2-mile radius that he had been told law enforcement had already searched. He said the United Cajun Navy, whose volunteers scoured more than 100,000 acres in and around Sac County looking for Schultz, didn't search that particular area.

Sarah Schultz said she recalled a thermal imaging drone from the Iowa Department of Transportation flying over during the initial search.

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"That original area was just marked green out of the gate, because, from my understanding, it had been searched by professionals," said Rowley, who said that raises "baffling questions" about whether the body was there the entire time or not.

Neither Sarah Schultz nor Rowley have viewed the body. She said she has trouble grasping how her husband's body wasn't just bones, given the length of time that has passed since his disappearance and the relatively mild winter in Northwest Iowa.

"I can't believe it wasn't just bones by now, knowing there's animals, vultures, coyotes. And, what they made it sound, nothing was missing. It wasn't just bones, so I don't understand," she said.

Sarah Schultz regularly posted updates on her Facebook page about her husband's case. She previously called his disappearance "suspicious" and said, "This is not something David would do. He would never leave. His family is his life."

During a Dec. 14, 2023, interview with The Journal, Schultz expressed frustration with local law enforcement and said she felt the case was more than "small-town police" could handle.

When asked how she now feels about how the investigation into her husband's disappearance was handled, she said, "I don't really want to talk about that."

Sarah Schultz, who works as a safety coordinator for EVAPCO in Lakeview, said she learned from her boss that her husband's body had been found.

She said he "tricked" her into going for a car ride. Since it was such a nice day out, she got into his truck. As he drove, they talked about "work stuff."

"I didn't understand it all until we got to about my house, and he grabbed my hand and said, 'I know you've been through a lot this year. The sheriff called and he wants to meet at your house to talk to you.' So I knew," Schultz said, her voice quaking and her eyes filling with tears.