OSAGE COUNTY  — Derek Holtmeyer, 35, of Linn, reported missing last July, has been found, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC), which announced that, on Feb. 8, Troop F/I Criminal Unit investigators discovered his remains in a wooded area location near Chamois.

“The Osage County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend our deepest condolences to Derek Holtmeyer’s family,” said Bonham. “We appreciate the hard work and dedication of my staff, volunteers, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and throughout the search efforts and continued investigation.”

Holtmeyer’s family contacted the Osage County Sheriff’s Office on July 12, 2023, to report they had not had contact with him since the early morning hours of July 11, 2023.

After taking a missing person’s report, the sheriff conducted an exhaustive search of the area where Holtmeyer was reportedly last seen.

Fire personnel searched the area near Rt. N at Hwy. 50 for about four hours on July 12, and deputies used a drone to search the wooded area for four to six hours the next day, Bonham said.

“I requested a Highway Patrol helicopter, but the circumstances didn’t meet the threshold to send one up,” said Bonham when announcing he had filed a missing persons report with the Highway Patrol. “This is a grown man with the right to do what he wants or go where he chooses. It’s a different situation when children are involved.”

However, deputies continued to search for leads.

Holtmeyer’s family provided bloodhounds, which found two trails. One led to a neighboring trailer, but Bonham said there was no sign of foul play.

“We located his truck, and we found no signs that anything was amiss,” said Bonham.

When the investigation into Holtmeyer’s disappearance proved fruitless, Sheriff Bonham formally requested the Highway Patrol take over on Oct. 13, 2023.

“We appreciate the DDDC taking over the investigation as we had exhausted all of our resources in trying to find Mr. Holtmeyer,” said Bonham.

MSHP Public Information Officer/Training Coordinator Master Sgt. Darrin Haslag with the DDCC noted the agency was aware of the sheriff’s investigation. However, the DDCC made no request for assistance until October. “One of the reasons municipal and county law enforcement agencies often request our help is because we can provide equipment, manpower, and resources to assist with their investigations, which many agencies do not have access to,” he added.

Bonham said he was pleased with the quick response. “The detective who responded to the scene initiated a search of the immediate area for about two hours,” he added.

After MSHP Troop F/I Criminal Unit investigators located the remains, the Boone County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed they were Holtmeyer’s on Feb. 15. No cause of death was released.

DDCC investigators are pursuing leads with the assistance of the Osage County Sheriff’s Office and Osage County Coroner AJ Probst.

Sheriff Bonham reminds everyone that this case is still under investigation and asks anyone with information to contact MSHP Master Sgt. Marcus Reynolds (DDCC) at 573-751-1000.