Missing traveler’s body found just off Interstate 35 in Northern Iowa

RURAL HAMILTON COUNTY – A man traveling through Iowa on his way to Wisconsin crashed his Hyundai Santa Fe just off an Interstate highway and was later found deceased in a secluded area, authorities say.

Iowa police agencies were on the lookout for a man who was reported missing earlier this month, reportedly traveling through Iowa to reach his grandmother who was near death. The subject, later identified as 31-year-old Marcus Anthony Taylor, never arrived at his intended destination.

Hamilton county sheriff Alex H. Pruismann reported on Friday, April 25, that that the vehicle in question, a blue Hyundai Santa Fe, was involved in a single vehicle accident in his county, along Interstate 35, near Ellsworth, and was being searched. The accident occurred on April 8th, 2025, at approximately 10:50 PM and was towed away from the scene. An extensive search was done that night, including a drone with thermal imaging as well as a K9 officer and other fire and rescue crew members and no driver or any individual was able to be located in or around the vehicle. Area hospitals and businesses were also checked. At the time of this accident, Taylor was not an entered missing person.

At approximately 2:30 PM on Friday, Aril 25, a deceased male matching the description of the missing person, Marcus Anthony Taylor, was located on a nearby acreage that was roughly 1 mile away from the original crash site/search area. The male was located within a closed structure that would have made it impossible to locate without the help of “STAR 1 Search and Rescue” out of Story County and their canine and equine teams. It appears as if the male made his way to this structure after the car accident to try and find shelter.

The sheriff said there is no foul play suspected, his family has been notified, and the body has been taken to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation laboratory for an autopsy, as is standard practice in these cases.

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Star 1 Search and Rescue out of Story County, Iowa State Patrol, Ellsworth Fire and Rescue, Hamilton County Emergency Management, Iowa Department of Transportation, Dallas-Fort Worth Police Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Apprehension.