Listen to a summary here:
Sebastian “Ty” Husted disappeared on January 22, 2018, leaving behind a mystery that would trouble two states for more than six years. Husted, who was 18 at the time, lived in Centerville, Iowa, and worked as a power washer at a hog confinement facility near South Lineville, Missouri—roughly an hour from his home. Because he had no transportation of his own, he relied on a co-worker for rides to and from work. That routine changed the day he vanished.
According to investigators, Husted was reported missing the same day when he failed to return home after his shift. Earlier that afternoon, he had messaged his brother sounding distressed and asking to be picked up, saying, “Please, man, just come get me. Please.” When his brother responded and asked where he was, Ty never replied. This was the last known communication from him.
Authorities pursued nearly 50 leads in the weeks and months that followed. Search teams drained the hog pit multiple times and combed through the surrounding rural area. Husted’s cellphone later pinged in Lineville, Iowa—about 40 miles from where he was believed to have been working—and no activity was recorded on his bank accounts after that day. Despite extensive efforts, no trace of him was found.
Everything changed on April 23, 2024, when a turkey hunter discovered human remains on private land in northeast Mercer County, Missouri. The site was located roughly one mile from the hog barns where Husted had worked. Two days later, on April 25, authorities confirmed the remains belonged to Sebastian “Ty” Husted, finally bringing an answer to a question that had lingered for more than six years.
The medical examiner determined that the condition of the remains left too little evidence to establish a cause or manner of death. With the circumstances surrounding his disappearance still unresolved, both the Centerville Police Department and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate.
Anyone with information that may help bring clarity to Ty Husted’s case is urged to contact the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office at 660-748-3165 or the Centerville Police Department at 641-437-7100.
