DES MOINES, Iowa — Skeletal remains found in the Des Moines River in 2022 have been identified as an Ottumwa man reported missing over five years ago.

Authorities say the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office recovered a femur bone on the banks of the Des Moines River outside of Keosauqua, Iowa in February 2022.

Investigators have now identified those remains as Timothy William-Michal Fortney, who was 22 at the time he was reported missing.

Fortney was reported missing by his mother in August of 2019 to the Ottumwa Police Department. Fortney had not been seen since March of 2018, over a year, at the time he was reported missing.

Fortney was added to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in 2021.

Othram Inc. and Southeast Missouri State University worked with authorities and were able to match DNA samples taken from Fortney’s family members to the recovered femur bone.

This is the second time Othram and Southeast Missouri State University have worked together to identify Iowa remains. Earlier this year the team identified the remains of 45-year-old Helen Groomes who went missing from Ottumwa and was later discovered in Missouri.

The cause of Fortney’s death is still under investigation.

If you have information about Tomothy Fortney authorities encourage you to contact the Ottumwa Police Department at 641-683-0661.