DES MOINES, Iowa — Officers of the Mahaska County Sheriff’s office discovered the body of an adult female in the South Skunk River near the Glendale Access Tuesday shortly after 3 p.m., according to a statement issued by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
The circumstances that lead to the female’s entering the river and the cause of her death are under investigation by the Oskaloosa Police Department, the Mahaska County Sheriff’s office and the DCI.
The identity of the female is not known at this time, the DCI said. An autopsy will be performed by the Office of the State Medical Examiner.
The statement said law enforcement is aware that on the morning of Monday, Aug. 5, Ashley Shafer, 24, of Oskaloosa was reported missing to the Oskaloosa Police Department. The investigation into Shafer’s disappearance and her current location are part of an active missing-person investigation.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Shafer or with information on the body found in the South Skunk River is asked to call the Mahaska County Communications Center at 641-672-2557.
