Bones Of Missing MMA Fighter Found After Nearly Two Years

A man in the woods discovered human remains, which has since been identified.

The human remains were identified as amateur mixed martial artist David Koenig, police said. Authorities have been searching for the then-25-year-old for nearly two years.

The search began in February 2020 after Koenig was seen in a motel in Branson. The remains were found on December 22 in the woods near Fall Creek Road. The man who found it was searching for deer antlers.

The individual confirmed that the bones were human.

The Branson Authorities Department and the Taney County Coroner’s Office performed a “meticulous search” of the area, “recovering most of the bones and various other personal objects,” according to police.

A forensic pathologist determined that “there was no trauma and that the death did not appear to be the result of foul play,” according to the police statement.

Police stated they had spent hundreds of hours searching for Koenig, including searches in Taney and Stone counties in Missouri, as well as Boone County, Arkansas.

“While this is not the ending we hoped for, we offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Koenig,” Branson Police Chief Jeff Matthews said.

Koenig was 3-1. He last fought in 2017 and nabbed a win against Austin Levine.