Skeletal remains found on the banks of the Des Moines River near Keosauqua in 2022 have now been identified as those of Timothy Fortney, an Ottumwa man reported missing in 2019.
Fortney, who was 22 when last seen, was added to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in 2021. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office recovered a femur bone from the riverbank in February 2022, and DNA testing by Southeast Missouri State University and Othram Inc. confirmed a match with Fortney’s family.
The circumstances surrounding Fortney’s death remain unclear, and the case is under investigation. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Ottumwa Police Department at (641) 683-0661.
