Matthew Lew Bettes Obituary, Death: Des Moines hunter, 37, found dead in Lake Red Rock identified.
Matthew Lew Bettes Obituary, Death – The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has identified the body of a 37-year-old Des Moines duck hunter found dead in Lake Red Rock as Matthew Lew Bettes. Authorities began searching for Bettes on Saturday evening, around 7 p.m., after receiving a request from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The search involved officials from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and both the Knoxville and Knoxville Rural fire departments.
Bettes was reported missing by a friend who was unsure about the specific body of water where Bettes’ boat began taking on water. However, Marion County deputies were able to trace Bettes’ car through a license plate reader and discovered it parked at a boat ramp near Lake Red Rock. The search for Bettes continued late into the night, with efforts paused around midnight before resuming the following morning.
By 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Marion County Sheriff Jason Sanderholdt and a deputy located Bettes’ body in the lake. It was confirmed that Bettes had drowned, though the official cause of death will be determined through an autopsy at the state medical examiner’s office. Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.
