A man looking for deer antlers in the Ozarks region of Branson came across the remains of a missing MMA fighter who had not been located despite thousands of hours of search, police said.
The gruesome finding was reported on Dec. 22 in the wooded area, putting an end to the thorough search for David Koenig, who vanished in February 2020 at the age of 25.
Branson Police Department said that its detectives along with the Taney County Coroner had recovered “most of the remains and several other personal artifacts.”
On Monday, the remains were confirmed as Koenig’s: “There was no trauma and the death did not appear to be the result of foul play.”
Months after he disappeared, Koenig’s mom Tracy revealed to NBC that the amateur fighter was staying at a Branson’s motel for a couple of days before he vanished.
“He messaged a few of his friends asking for help. He thought he might be in some sort of trouble.
But by the time they read the messages and tried to respond to him, he had stopped messaging. There was no answer from him,” she said.
“He’s just not someone who would disappear and he’s not a guy that someone could just takedown. He’s a force to be reckoned with. He’s a big, strong guy – but also with a big personality and big heart. He would do anything to protect his family.”
