Body Of Missing Muscatine Man Discovered in Iowa City

Missing for a week, police in Eastern Iowa now believe they have recovered the body of a Muscatine man.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that a body was discovered Saturday by a couple near Napolean Park on South Gilbert Street. Authorities say that they believe that it is the body of 20-year-old Cristian Martinez. City officers and Johnson County deputies retrieved the body from the water. In a news release, the city said that the Johnson County Medical Examiner's Office would identify the body and determine the cause of death.

The circumstances surrounding the death of Martinez are still a bit of a mystery. The Gazette reports that Martinez had gone to Iowa City with some friends a week ago this past Saturday. He was last seen in the alley behind Bardot Bar on South Gilbert Street sometime before 1 a.m. Police say that security footage showed Martinez walking west at 12:56 a.m. on Harrison Street. His family reported him missing after he never returned home. His phone died early that Saturday evening.

Police had been searching the Iowa River along with Ralston Creek and the surrounding area where Martinez was last seen, according to the Gazette. His family had offered a $25,000 reward for his safe return. Instead, a Go Fund Me page has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses. Donations as of this morning are over $21,000. KCRG reports that Iowa City officials say anyone experiencing difficulty with the outcome should contact a counselor or suicide hotline immediately.