Remains of missing Belle man found
Madison Stuerman
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The remains of a missing Belle man were found on Thursday.
The Maries County Sheriff’s Office said a search team found the body they believe to be Devin Gehlert, 36, after searching a heavily wooded area near Maries County Road 309 early Thursday.
The group included members from the Sheriff’s Office, the Belle Police Department and seven human-remain-detection dogs from Gateway Search Dogs Inc. and SAR K9 Co-op Inc.
Gehlert was reported missing in 2023.
Gehlert missing posterDownload
The post says local law enforcement did interviews and followed up on a large number of tips over the past two years. Volunteers also searched the wooded area near his home.
The Osage County Sheriff’s Office drained and searched a pond using a remote underwater vehicle with cameras and advanced sonar. The Gasconade County Sheriff’s Office drained a separate pond following a different lead.
“This is not the outcome any of us hoped for, but it offers a measure of closure for the family,” a Maries County Sheriff’s Office social media post states. “Today shows what is possible when agencies pool resources, share information, and work as one team.”
The agency said out of respect for the family and to protect the investigation, no additional details will be shared at this time.