SAC CITY, Iowa—An autopsy has revealed that an Iowa truck driver, David Schultz, who went missing last fall and was later found dead in a farm field this spring, died of hypothermia related to acute methamphetamine intoxication, according to State medical examiner Dr. Kelly Kruse. Kruse ruled Schultz’s death as an accident, as reported by the Sioux City Journal. Schultz, a 53-year-old farmer, was discovered deceased on April 24 in a Sac County field, approximately a quarter-mile from where his semi-truck was located parked in the middle of the road on Nov. 21.
Dr. Kruse ruled out homicide, stating that Schultz had taken methamphetamine and was subsequently exposed to cold temperatures. Further information was not immediately available as Dr. Kruse did not respond to an Associated Press phone message seeking clarification on the matter.
In the days following Schultz’s disappearance, temperatures dropped significantly below freezing. Schultz, a resident of Wall Lake, had left home late on the night of Nov. 20 to pick up a load of pigs from a hog confinement near Eagle Grove. His intended destination was a livestock dealer in Sac City, a small town approximately 90 miles northwest of Des Moines. When he failed to arrive, attempts to reach him by phone were unsuccessful.
Following his wife’s report of his disappearance, Schultz’s truck was located that afternoon, less than 10 miles northeast of his intended stop. The pigs were still in the trailer, his wallet and phone were found inside the rig, but his jacket was discovered on the roadside.
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Law enforcement conducted a search of the area, followed by over 250 volunteers joining in the broader search effort. However, Schultz’s body was not discovered until spring.
