Video, records and searches still don’t unravel mystery of missing Iowa trucker

SAC CITY — The Sac County Sheriff's Office gave its first update Saturday in more than a week on David Schultz, a trucker from Wall Lake who was reported missing Nov. 21.

In a news release, Sac County Sheriff Ken McClure said the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has assisted with a forensic search of Schultz’s phone and confirmed the missing man has "not legally gone through a U.S. border crossing" to leave the country.

Schultz, a 53-year-old married truck driver and father of two, left home about the evening of Nov. 20 to pick up a load of pigs near Eagle Grove and deliver them to Sac City. His wife reported him missing the next afternoon shortly before his truck was found — without him inside.

The last time Schultz’s truck was seen on an Iowa Department of Transportation camera was on Highway 20 west of the Mile Marker 126 Visitor Center near Fort Dodge — which is between Eagle Grove and Sac City, his intended route — heading west, according to the timeline provided by the Sheriff’s Office.

But at 3:04 p.m. Nov. 21, a Sac County Secondary Roads employee called in a truck parked in “the traveled portion” of the road at intersection of D-15 and N-14, which is a few miles north of Highway 20 in Sac County.

"It was reported that this semi had been sitting there since early morning. Responding deputies determined that it was David Schultz’s. The semi was shut off, and inside deputies found David Schultz's wallet and cellphone," McClure said in the timeline. "David Schultz’s driver's license was in the wallet. Investigators would later learn that nothing was missing from the wallet."

Following the discovery, county investigators searched the area on foot and with a police dog and requested assistance from the Iowa State Patrol air wing unit.

"A State Patrol pilot flew the surrounding area and did not detect a heat signature that would be consistent with a person," McClure said in the news release. "For the next two days, law enforcement, area firefighters and volunteers expanded the ground search on foot and with the use of drones. Nothing of significant value was located."

To further the search, Sac County sheriff's detectives and Lake View police traveled to the Eagle Grove area in Wright County and, with help from the Wright County Sheriff's Office, found the hog confinement where Schultz picked up the load of pigs.

"Load crew members were interviewed, and load records were obtained," McClure said in the timeline. "Investigators learned that Schultz had picked up his load but had been late to arrive and he was the last truck loaded. Schultz left at about 10:50 p.m." on Nov. 20.

At some point in Schultz's journey, cellphone data showed Schultz traveling to the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 71 junction

“Cellphone (data) shows Schultz’s phone arrives at Hwy 20 & 71 at about 12:18 a.m. The data shows the phone traveling north to where the truck was found. Data suggests the truck may have been there since 12:40 a.m. on November 21, 2023," the timeline shows.

Video surveillance from "an area business was obtained near Wieckman Hog Buying station,“ the Sac City facility where Schultz was to deliver his load.

"This video shows that David Schultz never made it to Wieckman’s. Law enforcement has searched for additional video footage from Eagle Grove to Fort Dodge but has not located any."

Since Schultz's disappearance, the United Cajun Navy, a Louisiana-based nonprofit, and volunteers have scoured more than 100,000 acres in and around Sac County. In addition to Sac County, Lake View, Iowa DCI and Wright County law enforcement officials, the State Patrol and Minneapolis police have helped look for him.

Schultz's wife, Sarah, has repeatedly called the disappearance "suspicious" and has said, "This is not something David would do. He would never leave. His family is his life."

Sarah Schultz last saw her husband about 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20. She said he had been working all day and asked her to grab him a change of clothes.

"He had to do another Seaboard load from Eagle Grove to Sac City," she said. "He just washed up and changed and gave me a kiss and ran out the door. He's always in a hurry."

Sarah Schultz said David was eager to get his work done and come back home, since her daughter and grandson were visiting from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. However, on the morning of Nov. 21, Schultz found the man whom David hauls livestock for on her doorstep.

"He said, 'Have you spoken to Dave?'" she recalled. "I said, 'No.' He said, 'No one can get ahold of him and the pigs haven't been dropped off yet.'"

McClure said anyone with any information is asked to contact the Sac County Sheriff’s Office at 712-662-7127 or their local law enforcement agency.