Body of Hannibal man missing since December found in pond near Frankford

FRANKFORD, Mo. — The body of a Hannibal man was found on Friday after he had been reported missing since mid-December.

Pike County Sheriff Stephen Korte said Nathaniel Mueller, 23, was discovered in a pond in the area of the initial focus of the search, near the intersection of Missouri Routes C and E just west of Frankford.

Korte said in a press release that an autopsy will be forthcoming. He said his office is following up on all tips that have been received “to fully understand how he came to be in the pond.” He thanked all of the agencies, departments, private businesses and members of the public that assisted in the investigation.

The Pike County Sheriff’s Department received a call on Dec. 21 of a vehicle parked in a resident’s drive near the intersection of Missouri Routes C and E just west of Frankford. Deputies responded to the area and found the vehicle unsecured and fully operational with the keys in the ignition and with Mueller’s wallet and clothes inside.

Investigators learned that Mueller was last seen in Quincy at approximately 10 p.m. on Dec. 20. He had left his phone in Quincy. He said he was going to go for a walk in the woods. 

Mueller’s grandmother owns property near Frankford approximately a mile and a half from where the car was located. He was known for enjoying walking the property.

The sheriff’s department received help in the search for Mueller from local law enforcement tracking dogs, a Missouri Highway Patrol aircraft, a drone from the Hannibal Police Department, a drone from Dry Branch Drone Services, fire departments from Frankford, Bowling Green, Louisiana, Buffalo and Clarksville, search and rescue dogs from Gateway Search Dogs and Search and Rescue K-9 CO-OP and a team from the Missouri State Highway Patrol water division.

His car was located on Dec. 22 at the intersection of Routes C and E in Frankford, Mo., in or near a wooded area. The keys to the car were found in the ignition. His wallet and the clothes he wore were in the car.