NEWS RELEASE
On August 28, 2019, Timothy William-Michal Fortney was reported missing to the Ottumwa
Police Department by his mother. At the time he was reported missing, Fortney had not been
seen for over a year.
In February of 2022, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office recovered a human femur bone from
the riverbank of the Des Moines River outside of Keosauqua, Iowa.
Ultimately, that bone was identified as belonging to Timothy William-Michal Fortney. See the
attached Media Release from DNAsolves.com in conjunction with Southeast Missouri State
University for details regarding the identification of the bone.
If anyone has information regarding the death of Timothy Fortney, they are requested to contact
the Ottumwa Police Department Investigations Unit at (641) 683-0661.
A man, whose remains were discovered in Iowa in February 2022, has been identified as
Timothy William-Michal Fortney, missing from Ottumwa, Iowa.
In February 2022, authorities recovered skeletal remains on the banks of the Des Moines River
near Keosauqua, Iowa. Anthropological analysis suggested that the femur was likely from an
adult male, and its condition was consistent with forensic, rather than archaeological,
significance. Subsequent searches of the area did not yield more remains or any other
evidence. Initial attempts at DNA extraction and traditional DNA testing were unsuccessful, and
the case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as
UP90738. The man became known as Des Moines River John Doe.
When the Lincoln County Coroner’s Office in Missouri announced that they had successfully
partnered with Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) and Othram to identify 15-year-old
Helen Groomes (https://dnasolves.com/articles/helen-groomes-missouri/) of Ottumwa, Iowa,
investigators from the Ottumwa Police Department recognized the value of applying the latest
DNA technology to complex cases, including those involving poorly preserved remains. Des
Moines River John Doe’s remains were transported to Southeast Missouri State University,
where, under the supervision of Drs. Jennifer Bengtson and Jim McGill, advanced Anthropology
and Chemistry students applied non-destructive chemical analyses as part of a larger research
project focused on assessing likelihood of DNA preservation from skeletal remains.
With the necessary casework costs paid by SEMO Anthropology, the forensic evidence was
then submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas so that advanced DNA testing
could be used to name the unknown man. Othram’s scientists successfully developed a DNA
extract from the evidence. Although the DNA was highly degraded, a comprehensive DNA
profile was built for the man using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®. While SEMO
students learned valuable investigative skills by searching missing persons databases and
conducting records research, Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team worked to
develop new leads in the case which corresponded with missing persons leads that
investigators were pursuing.
The investigation led Ottumwa Police Department investigators to collect reference samples
from possible family members of the man. The unknown man’s DNA profile was compared to
the DNA profile of the possible relative using Othram’s KinSNP® rapid relationship testing. This
investigation confirmed the identity of Des Moines River John Doe as Timothy William-Michal
Fortney. Mr. Fortney was reported missing from Ottumwa, Iowa on March 17, 2018. At the time
of his disappearance, Fortney was staying at the Ottumwa Residential Facility. The
circumstances of Timothy Fortney’s disappearance and death are the subject of an ongoing
investigation.
Anyone with information that could aid in the investigation of Timothy Fortney’s disappearance
and death is encouraged to contact Investigator Jordan Staton of the Ottumwa Police
Department by calling (641) 683-0661.
