Law Enforcement, State ME Identify Skeletal Remains in Mahaska County

Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office

MAHASKA COUNTY, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) was called to assist the Mahaska County Sheriff’s office with a death investigation.

On December 16, 2015, a call came in to the Mahaska County Sheriff’s office communications center. A hunter called in that they had found skeletal remains north of Oskaloosa, Iowa along a set of railroad tracks. The Mahaska County Sheriff’s office responded to the scene and located the skeletal remains. The Mahaska County Sheriff’s office then secured the scene and then requested the assistance of the DCI.

The skeletal remains were then transported to the Iowa Office of State Medical Examiner in Ankeny, Iowa for an autopsy for identification and forensic examination. The autopsy was performed on December 20, 2015 by Dr. Michele Catellier, MD. The cause and manner of death have not been determined at this time. Final autopsy results could take up to 6 to 8 weeks to be completed.

As a result of the autopsy and investigation, the body has been positively identified as Jeffrey Allen Versteegh, 34, of Oskaloosa, Iowa. Versteegh had been reported missing to the Oskaloosa Police Department in July of 2015.

This is an ongoing investigation being worked jointly by the Mahaska County Sheriff’s office, the Oskaloosa Police Department, the Iowa Office of State Medical Examiner and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

No further information will be released at this time.