Dive team finds submerged car belonging to Iowa man missing since 2013; human remains inside

Philip Joens
Des Moines Register

The vehicle of a Hampton man who went missing in 2013 was found Monday by investigators. In it, human remains were also discovered. 

Ethan Kazmerzak was last seen at various local bars on Sept. 15, 2013. Investigators have followed up on numerous leads since his disappearance and came up empty-handed in every instance.

His silver 2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI was found by a dive team in a body of water northwest of Hampton, according to a news release from Franklin County Sheriff Aaron Dodd. 

Human remains were found inside the vehicle; however, identification of the body has not been confirmed, according to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. The body is being sent to the state medical examiner's office to confirm identification and cause of death.

The same body of water was searched twice before, according to the release. Efforts to recover the vehicle are being made Tuesday, according to the release. 

Ethan Kazmerzak

The last time anyone had communication from Kazmerzak was sometime around midnight Sept. 15, 2013. Kazmerzak was 22 at the time of his disappearance. He has dark blonde hair, a beard and wears glasses with thick black frames.

He stands 5-foot, 5-inches tall, weighs about 185 pounds, and was last seen wearing peach-colored shorts and a white/teal printed shirt.

A Grateful Dead tattoo is on his upper left arm. 

Philip Joens covers breaking news for The Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-443-3347 at pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.