Human remains found last year at Rocky Forks Conservation Area were identified as missing Columbia man
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia Police Department has identified the person from human remains that were found last year at Rock Forks Lake Conservation Area.
Police wrote in a Wednesday press release that the remains were of Daniel Thompson, 41, who was a Columbia man who went missing in 2023. Police wrote in the release that the remains were identified on March 17.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol announced last year that human remains were found on March 22, 2025, at Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area in Boone County. Amy said he was found deep in the woods of the conservation area.
The Boone County Sheriff’s Office had asked the MSHP Division of Drug and Crime Control to investigate the scene, according to previous reporting.
In July 2023, Missouri Missing conducted multiple searches for Thompson after his vehicle was found at the Rocky Fork Conservation Area. Daniel’s sister, Amy Thompson said a spurt of bad weather in the days following her brother’s disappearance made search efforts difficult and unsuccessful at the time.
Amy Thompson said the announcement has helped bring some closure to her family.
“Some of our searches were delayed, some were canceled, we had search dogs out there,” Amy Thompson said. “We kind of thought that it might not get answers because things could be covered up or scents could be covered up that the dogs wouldn’t be able to track.”
However, her family still had hope he could still come back home alive. Even with the remains now identified as Daniel, Amy Thompson said her family still doesn’t know exactly how he died and that they may never know.
“Was he out there for a while? Did he fall and get injured? It was such a long period of time from the time that he went missing, until the time any evidence was found, that all of those questions will remain unanswered,” Amy Thompson said.
Amy Thompson said she and her family will remember Daniel by his silly personality and the way he loved his children.
“We’ve spent this weekend going through all the videos of all the fun times with him and in every video we have he’s laughing and giggling and joking around,” she said.
Renee Bosch said she became friends with Daniel Thompson while working with him at the Truman VA Medical Center after bonding with him over their shared experience of serving in the military. Bosch said Daniel always had a smile on his face.
“We never really seemed to be weighed down by anything,” Bosch said. “Just being around someone that appreciates those small things in life, it reminds you of what is really important in this world and Daniel, he chose to see that.”
She also said Daniel would always make an effort to uplift others around him any chance he got.
Several bodies have been found in the conservation area over the years, including the remains of Angela Rice in 2022, which were found more than three months after she was reported missing.
In August 2022, the Missouri State Highway Patrol identified the body of Michael Smith, who went missing while fishing with two friends, previous reporting indicates.