Son Vanishes from Bowling Alley After Night Out. Weeks Later, Someone Spotted Something ‘Floating in’ Popular Lake

A man who vanished after a night out in Kansas has been found dead more than a month later.

Sedgwick County authorities said the body of Ian Alexander Shelton, 30, was recovered from the south side of Lake Afton on the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 10. His official cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

Investigators first asked for the public’s help on Dec. 5, after Shelton was reported missing. He was last seen leaving Let’s Roll Seneca bowling alley at 9:30 p.m. local time on Dec. 2. Officials said he was considered endangered due to freezing temperatures and the clothing he was wearing.

Detectives searched the Lake Afton area on Dec. 6. Two days later, authorities confirmed Shelton had been at the lake during the early hours of Dec. 3. At the time, investigators said they believed he may have been experiencing a mental health crisis when he disappeared.

“We don’t show any other signs right now to think that there was any foul play … I know there’s been some speculation on social media about that,” Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Capt. Matthew Lynch told ABC affiliate KAKE last month, adding that Shelton appeared to be with a woman at the lake. Lynch also said investigators were working to preserve any evidence or statements in case the case later shifted into a criminal investigation.

On Dec. 9, the sheriff’s office led what it described as a “large-scale coordinated search” covering roughly 3.5 square miles in and around Lake Afton Park. When no trace of Shelton was found, organized search operations were concluded on Dec. 10, though the case remained ongoing.

“It’s just been like holding your breath for as long as you can, hoping for air,” Shelton’s friend Justin Stroud told KAKE, describing the days spent searching alongside other loved ones. Stroud said he had known Shelton since Shelton was 13, and remembered him as someone with an uplifting presence.

Authorities said Shelton’s body was recovered after a person reported seeing an unidentified object floating in the water, allowing Sedgwick County firefighters to retrieve his remains.

“This case remains an open and active investigation,” officials said, extending condolences to Shelton’s family and friends.

Stroud said Shelton was especially devoted to his mother, Stacy, including supporting her through her battle with stage four cancer.

“He was an amazing person. There’s not anybody that knew Ian that would ever have anything bad to say about him,” Stroud told KAKE. “He lit up rooms when he walked into them.”

“I want people to remember him as someone who gave up a lot to be with his mom, who’s fighting cancer, and was always there for her when she needed him,” he added.

Shelton’s mother also shared a tribute on social media, reflecting on her late husband and son. “I’m comforted to know that Ian is with his Mark making music once again,” she wrote on Facebook, adding in a separate post: “I love you son.”