A 22-year-old Iowa man who vanished in mid-December was found dead in Arkansas more than two weeks later, authorities said.
Nicholas Collins was last seen on Dec. 19, 2025, according to a news release from the Tama County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO). Investigators previously said Collins left home in Garwin, Iowa, after leaving a note, and they believed he may have been headed to Gladbrook, a nearby city.
Officials said Collins’ phone was shut off and without service as of Dec. 19. His family reported they had not seen or heard from him since that day.
Collins’ vehicle was later located in Arkansas. Authorities said his car — a 2012 Mini Cooper — was found in Johnson County at the Ozark National Forest on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, several hours from where he was last seen in Iowa.
The Newton County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) said the vehicle was discovered “at the Arbaugh Trailhead on the Ozark Highlands Trail.”
Five days later, searchers found Collins’ body “in a very steep, rugged and remote area of the Ozark National Forest,” about 1.7 miles from the trailhead, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators later confirmed he “died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
The TCSO said there was “no indication of foul play” connected to Collins’ death, though the investigation remains ongoing.
“This is a very difficult time for Nicholas’s family, and we ask everyone to respect their privacy as they grieve,” the sheriff’s office said.
The agency also thanked those who assisted in the search, including Arkansas teams, federal law enforcement, volunteers, and staff in Tama County.
In a separate statement, NCSO Sheriff Glenn Wheeler said, in part: “I hate that this turned out like it did, but I am glad we are able to provide some answers to a family that has been without answers for what I can only imagine were a very long couple of weeks. Our prayers and condolences go out to them.”
