DES MOINES – A man was found dead in rural Floyd county this week, investigators say.
On December 1st, 2017, the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a body that was discovered near 290th Street and Shadow Avenue in rural Floyd County, about 10 miles south of Charles City. This is the area where law enforcement had previously requested the public’s assistance regarding, 28 year old Michael Johns, the individual reported missing from Grundy County. The body found at the scene was subsequently transported to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner (IOSME) in Ankeny, Iowa.
On December 2nd, 2017, an autopsy was completed at the IOSME by Dr. Dennis Klein and the body was positively identified as that of Michael Johns. The manner of death has been ruled a homicide. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, the cause of death is not being released at this time. The Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr. Johns’ disappearance and his death.
Leading up to the discovery of the missing man, on October 26th, 2017, Johns was reported as a missing person to the Grundy Center Police Department. During the subsequent investigation, information was developed which led law enforcement to believe that at the time of his disappearance, Johns was wearing a white baseball cap, a green or dark colored Under Armor hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and white and gray tennis shoes. The investigation also developed information that indicated that Johns was last seen in an area between Greene, Iowa and Charles City, Iowa during the early morning hours of October 25th, 2017, at around 6:00 am. Past that time, Johns was not seen or heard from.
Investigators said at the time, they believed that foul play is suspected in Johns’ disappearance.
