Suggested edit: https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/brian-dietrich/
Brian Dietrich — the son of [then] Clayton County Sheriff Verdean Dietrich — was known for his biker lifestyle and "living off the land" in rural Garnavillo, Iowa, but made regular trips across the Mississippi River to Prairie du Chien, Wis., to sell ginseng.
He'd made such a trip Saturday, October 30, 1993, his mother, Bonnie Dietrich, said.
According to Lt. Lauren Knutson of the Crawford County (Wisconsin) Sheriff's Office, Dietrich — along with his girlfriend and her brothers — was hanging out at the downtown Schooner Bar in Prairie du Chien.
"At some point in time, there was a scuffle [and] Brian was struck once by one of the brothers," Knutson told WMTV (NBC) Channel 15 for a story that aired May 17, 2009.
The 30-year-old Dietrich headed home, walking toward the bridge connecting Prairie du Chien with Clayton County, Iowa, but never made it home.
Dietrich's girlfriend reported him missing several days later, insisting he was in the river.
Knutson firmly believed people knew more than what they were saying, and said on a scale of zero to ten, he'd put [his suspicions] at a ten.
"What we know is what the people with him have told us that night," he said. "All indications are Brian didn't jump into the river voluntarily. There was just nothing that ever said he was suicidal."
Dietrich's body wouldn't turn up until the following May — entangled in the roots of Indian Isle.
Body Found
Indian Isle — a one-mile wooded island on the Mississippi River — could be accessed only by boat within the Crawford County jurisdiction. Home to about 20 seasonal cabin dwellers, the secluded island lay one mile south of the Mississippi River bridge near McGregor, Iowa.
On Saturday, May 28, 1994 — Memorial Day weekend — a suspicious odor led one resident out to the shore to investigate.
He discovered the body on the shore; fully clothed, the man lay face down in the sand. The resident immediately notified the Crawford County (Wis.) Sheriff's Department.
Joined by officials from the Clayton County Sheriff's Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the deputies examined the body for a cause of death. They could find no wounds, but did find the victim's clothing and wallet nearby.
The remains were those of Brian Dietrich.
Lt. Knutson, on call at the time, was one of the first responders.
"[The body] appeared to have been in the river for several months," Knutson told the Dubuque Telegraph Herald in an interview for a story published May 30, 1994.
Dietrich's body was transported to the University of Wisconsin for an autopsy, and though the coroner eventually ruled the death a drowning, investigators couldn't shake the feeling they'd had from the very beginning; they strongly believed there was more to this death.
Contributor: KKruse (47737784)
Brian Dietrich — the son of [then] Clayton County Sheriff Verdean Dietrich — was known for his biker lifestyle and "living off the land" in rural Garnavillo, Iowa, but made regular trips across the Mississippi River to Prairie du Chien, Wis., to sell ginseng.
He'd made such a trip Saturday, October 30, 1993, his mother, Bonnie Dietrich, said.
According to Lt. Lauren Knutson of the Crawford County (Wisconsin) Sheriff's Office, Dietrich — along with his girlfriend and her brothers — was hanging out at the downtown Schooner Bar in Prairie du Chien.
"At some point in time, there was a scuffle [and] Brian was struck once by one of the brothers," Knutson told WMTV (NBC) Channel 15 for a story that aired May 17, 2009.
The 30-year-old Dietrich headed home, walking toward the bridge connecting Prairie du Chien with Clayton County, Iowa, but never made it home.
Dietrich's girlfriend reported him missing several days later, insisting he was in the river.
Knutson firmly believed people knew more than what they were saying, and said on a scale of zero to ten, he'd put [his suspicions] at a ten.
"What we know is what the people with him have told us that night," he said. "All indications are Brian didn't jump into the river voluntarily. There was just nothing that ever said he was suicidal."
Dietrich's body wouldn't turn up until the following May — entangled in the roots of Indian Isle.
Body Found
Indian Isle — a one-mile wooded island on the Mississippi River — could be accessed only by boat within the Crawford County jurisdiction. Home to about 20 seasonal cabin dwellers, the secluded island lay one mile south of the Mississippi River bridge near McGregor, Iowa.
On Saturday, May 28, 1994 — Memorial Day weekend — a suspicious odor led one resident out to the shore to investigate.
He discovered the body on the shore; fully clothed, the man lay face down in the sand. The resident immediately notified the Crawford County (Wis.) Sheriff's Department.
Joined by officials from the Clayton County Sheriff's Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the deputies examined the body for a cause of death. They could find no wounds, but did find the victim's clothing and wallet nearby.
The remains were those of Brian Dietrich.
Lt. Knutson, on call at the time, was one of the first responders.
"[The body] appeared to have been in the river for several months," Knutson told the Dubuque Telegraph Herald in an interview for a story published May 30, 1994.
Dietrich's body was transported to the University of Wisconsin for an autopsy, and though the coroner eventually ruled the death a drowning, investigators couldn't shake the feeling they'd had from the very beginning; they strongly believed there was more to this death.
Contributor: KKruse (47737784)
Suggested edit: https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/brian-dietrich/
Brian Dietrich — the son of [then] Clayton County Sheriff Verdean Dietrich — was known for his biker lifestyle and "living off the land" in rural Garnavillo, Iowa, but made regular trips across the Mississippi River to Prairie du Chien, Wis., to sell ginseng.
He'd made such a trip Saturday, October 30, 1993, his mother, Bonnie Dietrich, said.
According to Lt. Lauren Knutson of the Crawford County (Wisconsin) Sheriff's Office, Dietrich — along with his girlfriend and her brothers — was hanging out at the downtown Schooner Bar in Prairie du Chien.
"At some point in time, there was a scuffle [and] Brian was struck once by one of the brothers," Knutson told WMTV (NBC) Channel 15 for a story that aired May 17, 2009.
The 30-year-old Dietrich headed home, walking toward the bridge connecting Prairie du Chien with Clayton County, Iowa, but never made it home.
Dietrich's girlfriend reported him missing several days later, insisting he was in the river.
Knutson firmly believed people knew more than what they were saying, and said on a scale of zero to ten, he'd put [his suspicions] at a ten.
"What we know is what the people with him have told us that night," he said. "All indications are Brian didn't jump into the river voluntarily. There was just nothing that ever said he was suicidal."
Dietrich's body wouldn't turn up until the following May — entangled in the roots of Indian Isle.
Body Found
Indian Isle — a one-mile wooded island on the Mississippi River — could be accessed only by boat within the Crawford County jurisdiction. Home to about 20 seasonal cabin dwellers, the secluded island lay one mile south of the Mississippi River bridge near McGregor, Iowa.
On Saturday, May 28, 1994 — Memorial Day weekend — a suspicious odor led one resident out to the shore to investigate.
He discovered the body on the shore; fully clothed, the man lay face down in the sand. The resident immediately notified the Crawford County (Wis.) Sheriff's Department.
Joined by officials from the Clayton County Sheriff's Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the deputies examined the body for a cause of death. They could find no wounds, but did find the victim's clothing and wallet nearby.
The remains were those of Brian Dietrich.
Lt. Knutson, on call at the time, was one of the first responders.
"[The body] appeared to have been in the river for several months," Knutson told the Dubuque Telegraph Herald in an interview for a story published May 30, 1994.
Dietrich's body was transported to the University of Wisconsin for an autopsy, and though the coroner eventually ruled the death a drowning, investigators couldn't shake the feeling they'd had from the very beginning; they strongly believed there was more to this death.
Contributor: KKruse (47737784)
Brian Dietrich — the son of [then] Clayton County Sheriff Verdean Dietrich — was known for his biker lifestyle and "living off the land" in rural Garnavillo, Iowa, but made regular trips across the Mississippi River to Prairie du Chien, Wis., to sell ginseng.
He'd made such a trip Saturday, October 30, 1993, his mother, Bonnie Dietrich, said.
According to Lt. Lauren Knutson of the Crawford County (Wisconsin) Sheriff's Office, Dietrich — along with his girlfriend and her brothers — was hanging out at the downtown Schooner Bar in Prairie du Chien.
"At some point in time, there was a scuffle [and] Brian was struck once by one of the brothers," Knutson told WMTV (NBC) Channel 15 for a story that aired May 17, 2009.
The 30-year-old Dietrich headed home, walking toward the bridge connecting Prairie du Chien with Clayton County, Iowa, but never made it home.
Dietrich's girlfriend reported him missing several days later, insisting he was in the river.
Knutson firmly believed people knew more than what they were saying, and said on a scale of zero to ten, he'd put [his suspicions] at a ten.
"What we know is what the people with him have told us that night," he said. "All indications are Brian didn't jump into the river voluntarily. There was just nothing that ever said he was suicidal."
Dietrich's body wouldn't turn up until the following May — entangled in the roots of Indian Isle.
Body Found
Indian Isle — a one-mile wooded island on the Mississippi River — could be accessed only by boat within the Crawford County jurisdiction. Home to about 20 seasonal cabin dwellers, the secluded island lay one mile south of the Mississippi River bridge near McGregor, Iowa.
On Saturday, May 28, 1994 — Memorial Day weekend — a suspicious odor led one resident out to the shore to investigate.
He discovered the body on the shore; fully clothed, the man lay face down in the sand. The resident immediately notified the Crawford County (Wis.) Sheriff's Department.
Joined by officials from the Clayton County Sheriff's Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the deputies examined the body for a cause of death. They could find no wounds, but did find the victim's clothing and wallet nearby.
The remains were those of Brian Dietrich.
Lt. Knutson, on call at the time, was one of the first responders.
"[The body] appeared to have been in the river for several months," Knutson told the Dubuque Telegraph Herald in an interview for a story published May 30, 1994.
Dietrich's body was transported to the University of Wisconsin for an autopsy, and though the coroner eventually ruled the death a drowning, investigators couldn't shake the feeling they'd had from the very beginning; they strongly believed there was more to this death.
Contributor: KKruse (47737784)
