On July 5th, 2019 at 6:12 PM, the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Camp at the Woods Campground at 22097 Fallspark Drive in Rock Falls for a report of human remains being found in a pond at the campground. The remains were identified as missing person Lawrence Howlett, 48, of Sandwich, Illinois with the help from family and property located with the remains.
The remains will be sent to the State Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy.
This incident is still under investigation.
The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Mason City Fire Department, and Mercy One NI Pathology (Medical Examiner).
24 thoughts on “Remains of missing man found in pond at Plymouth campground”
I get that he probably wasn’t a floater for a few days but over a month? If the river was searched, why didn’t they search the pond first? How deep is this pond? Doesn’t seem that law enforcement paid much attention to this case. Will never be solved due to it being North Iowa.
Ray. You shady bastard.
” this wasnt a simple drowning”, sounds like you know something. Are you the real, Inspector Clouseau, trolling this site spewing your 2 cents worth.
dude, have you ever been over in that area? its pretty hard to accept that nobody saw him in that little pit for six weeks. i do enjoy a good troll as much as the next guy. but this just seems strange.
Ignore him some people just don’t have common sense. I also think something is off. I use to fish in that pond and there is Noway noone seen him. That pond needs drained.
was almost better off when the trees surrounded it. nobody even knew it was there for the longest time.
tell me it wasnt the kiddie pond !
Hopefully more investing work will be done now,just to make sure it was just an accident.Was he camping with other people when this happened.Is this a pond or pit.People swam there all the time years ago.Need to focus on this area and put up signs maybe at very least to warn people to be careful because of danger of area.I know it kind of sounds stupid but it can’t hurt.Hopefully if this happens again the pond/pit will get closer look earlier on.
This is sick, some friends he had putting the focus on the river and not reporting for a week? That pit is feet next to that campgrounds in Rockfalls not Plymouth. This is terrible! People involved should be ashamed.
see…. somethings not right about this. lots of other people think so too.
Lots of other people, you mean NITS own anonymous?
there are probably hundreds of anon commenters….. idk why you old people seem to think its one guy named anonymous. anyway. no. talk to people around town when youre at work or when you are out. people either have no idea this even happened because they are self absorbed or they are dumb people who think the news is somehow all made up, idk. but the majorit who are aware see some odd details with this situation. if you dont youre either way to trusting or possibly involved somehow…. i think the people who dont want to see any foul play are the same who pretend north iowa is a nice place to live work and raise kids. this isnt the north iowa of twenty years ago people.
You should make a movie of your conspiracy theories.
and maybe you should grow up. this wasnt a simple drowning. some local redneck did something to this guy. that pond is so visible from so many angles! impossible he was in that body of water over a month in 90 degree temps and nobody found him sooner. the road that house the campground itself all right there with full views of that pond. this is not cut and dry accept what the leo say. they didnt try to hard then wam bam one day we got a floater on the small pond right in someones back yard? the reality is it seems way likely there was some foul play. lots of dirtballs and losers choose that campground. was there any transient bum types living there at the time, maybe the man got drunk went for a stroll some deputy found him it got a little rough during their interaction maybe choke holds or sprays were used and the poor man died. its happened before. in any case the guy id assume has been drinking for years and hasnt once fell in a random pit til he came to north iowa where murders and violent crime tend to go unsolved…. at least in cerro gordo county. unless we have the murderer covered in blood in the street and or admitting it generally we dont see alot of solved homicides or drive bys or random shootings.
same cops that killed jody?
fact that you can see that pond from the road is pretty suspicious. i think we may have another one of those corrupt cerro gordo law enforcement scenarios on our hands. fact that nobody saw a floater in that pond thats directly behind a house with windows and doors on that side?….. maybe its not a simple disapperance? maybe someone at camp at the woods is a murderer? maybe the local law enforcement just dont want to do the work and wanna blame a drunk for falling into the water, seems time he drank for quite a few years and never hurt or killed himself, almost seems as though something really happened and some hicks and some cops are covering it up.
not in plymouth lol. camp at the woods is much closer to rockfalls. dummy.
no comment from sheriff pals?? probably busy washing egg from his face
How big is the camp grounds?? Took 6 weeks to find him in the camp grounds ??
Great work…… Geez
you barely notice it driving by and inside its pretty small too. it has river access otherwise not much point in “camping” there. if you like old drunks youll love it!
It is more like a trailer park instead of a campground.
ya lots of long term people living in pop ups and 5th wheels. some of them do not have real homes. transients in the woods. gross.
Most of the decent people have moved on. It’s all about money to Ray now. Lots more profit and cash on the side from the seasonal scrubs living there. Meth heads… drunks…
It’s not a safe place to let your kids go anymore.
Was the pit searched in the beginning? Sounds a little fishy ;(