'We all know Jake’s in heaven': Remains found in La Porte City confirmed as those of Jake Wilson, authorities say

Luke Nozicka | The Des Moines Register

Show Caption Hide Caption Authorities confirm Jake Wilson's remains found in creek Authorities confirmed Wednesday that the remains found in Wolf Creek are that of missing La Porte City teen Jake Wilson.

LA PORTE CITY, Ia. — Of all the questions surrounding Jake Wilson's disappearance, authorities brought an answer for just one Wednesday: The remains found earlier this month belong to the teenage boy with autism.

An investigation of how the 16-year-old boy died and ended up in Wolf Creek near his La Porte City home will continue. But for Jake’s father, Mike Wilson, and grandfather Bruce Wilson, the identification has brought them some resolution.

They said mourning will continue.

“We’re at peace,” Bruce Wilson said Wednesday. Despite the unknowns, “I have the answers I need.”

Surrounded by television cameras and reporters, Mike Wilson recalled how Jake and his brother would fight over the last brownie or taco and the time they fished together.

“We all know Jake’s in heaven,” he said, adding that he breaks down each day seeing his son's face on missing-person posters. “I’ll see him again someday.”

La Porte City Police Chief Chris Brecher said Jake's remains were not found sooner because conditions of the creek were constantly changing and there are many holes on the bottom. The creek has receded substantially since Jake disappeared, something authorities believe is what allowed recreational kayakers to make their discovery.

“It’s a question that we ask ourselves and we wrack our brains over,” Brecher said. “We might be able to really give you an answer (later) on why we didn’t find him” earlier.

At a news conference Wednesday, Brecher said the cause of death had not been determined. Further analysis by a number of agencies is ongoing, something local law enforcement hopes will help them answer how Jake died.

The remains were found about two weeks ago. At the time, authorities could not confirm the remains were Jake's.

A high school sophomore who loved the outdoors, Jake told his family he was going for a walk near the creek on April 7, but he never came home. The search for Jake gained attention across Iowa as authorities received hundreds of unique tips and a number of reported sightings in other states.

Jake’s remains were found downstream from where he was thought to have gone the evening he disappeared and within a mile from where searches began, Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson said. The area where the remains were found was combed by crews up to 30 times before, he said.

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Jake's mother, Megan Richter-Neiswonger, did not attend Wednesday's news conference. Brecher said the family needed privacy.

Authorities declined to comment on what remains were found. Asked how many of Jake’s bones had been recovered, the sheriff said, “a significant amount.”

Brecher could not comment whether authorities suspect foul play, but he said the public was not in danger. The sheriff declined to speculate what the state’s crime lab might find while microscopically looking at Jake’s remains.

In a Facebook post after officials announced the discovery of the remains, Thompson said he felt as if investigators had let down Jake's family by “not finding this evidence sooner.” He said he knew the past four months had been agonizing for them.

At the news conference, Thompson said detectives have taken the case personally. A lieutenant of his recently mentioned that a poison ivy rash he developed from cutting brush near the creek was starting to clear up.

“God, I wish we could’ve wrapped this up in the first three weeks,” he said.

But investigators have answered their first major question: “Where is Jake Wilson?” Evidence led law enforcement — which consisted of 15 FBI agents as of Tuesday — to the creek throughout their investigation.

Hundreds of volunteers searched for Jake in the community of about 2,200 people; at its peak, more than 800 people helped as snow fell the day after he was reported missing. Law enforcement searched a more than 9-mile radius from the center of town in the succeeding days, an area spanning about 255 square miles.

Family: Jake 'touched so many lives'

A service of remembrance for Jake has been set for Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. at the Union High School gymnasium. In an obituary, family members said the teenager "has touched so many lives and will forever be loved."

Jake is survived by more than 20 family members, including his brother and two step-brothers. Family members described Jake as a nature-lover who enjoyed playing sports and performing in his school's choir.

During a previous interview with the Des Moines Register, Jake's mother and stepfather said he enjoyed reading books, playing Yahtzee and walking to Tootsie's Ice Cream and More, a shop down the street from their home, and the fire station, which authorities used as headquarters for the search.

Jake always wanted to be a police officer. He once visited the Benton County Jail and admired law enforcement, saying he wanted to “catch the bad guys,” his mother has said.

As local, state and federal investigators searched for Jake, his mother in April said it was "neat to see his heroes still looking for him."

When he went to the ice cream shop, his family would call ahead of his arrival and send him with exact change. While family described him as outgoing, Jake's safe haven was his bedroom, where he kept his Xbox, guitar and treasures he collected outside.

Jake tried playing a number of sports, but during his first game of baseball five years ago, the left-hander was hit in the nose on the first pitch, his mother said. He won awards in Special Olympics, including a first place in long jump.

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More than a week after Jake was reported missing, Richter-Neiswonger received a Facebook memory alert that reminded her of one of his milestones: a year ago April 17, he had just learned to ride his blue tricycle.

His mother wanted him to be able to go on rides with his brothers, one of whom is paraplegic, and once he picked it up, he would travel down the trails with his grandmother, a mile ahead of her.

“It was the feeling of being proud of each little step he took,” she previously told the Register.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that contributions be sent to Cedar Valley Bank and Trust in La Porte City to Megan Neiswonger, according to the obituary.

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