KNOXVILLE — Authorities have identified the man whose body was found in Lake Red Rock over the weekend.
According to a press release from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, on December 7th, 2024 at around 7:06pm, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to assist in locating a missing person. A 37-year-old Des Moines man was reported missing to the Des Moines Police Department earlier in the day after his friend reported him missing. It was reported the 37-year-old male was duck hunting and his boat began taking on water; the reporting party was unsure of what body of water the male was hunting on.
Marion County Deputies were able to locate the male’s vehicle passing a license plate reader in Marion County and subsequently located his vehicle at a boat ramp in Marion County. They began to search for the male and requested additional resources. Members from the Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DNR, and Knoxville Fire and Rescue launched boats to look for the male. Shortly after midnight, the water search was suspended and resumed at daylight on December 8th. At approximately 8:30am, the body of the 37-year-old male was located in Lake Red Rock by Marion County Sheriff Sandholdt and a Deputy.
The man has since been identified as 37-year-old Matthew Lee Bettes of Des Moines.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Iowa DNR, Knoxville Fire and Rescue, and Knoxville Rural Fire.
