Remains of Michael Rapue have been positively identified

April 30, 2020

On Friday, April 17, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office was called to a property on NE 100th Lane, northeast of Milford, after two individuals had reportedly located human remains in a wooded area. The two individuals were found to be on another person’s property without that person’s permission. Following the report of a missing person back in October of last year, property in the area had been searched on numerous other occasions; however, the property where the remains were found was located further east.

The Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Barton County Coroner Tammy DeHerrera, members of the Lamar and Golden City Fire Department and criminal investigators from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drugs and Crime responded to the scene for collection of the remains. The remains were sent to Frontier Forensic in the Kansas City area for further examination.

On Tuesday, April 28, the remains were positively identified as Michael B. Rapue, 29, Golden City. Rapue had gone missing on or around the date of October 24, 2018. Numerous groups became involved with the search for the missing man. On the night of October 29, 2018, and then again on October 30, 2018, members of the Newton County Rescue and Recovery team, along with members of the Golden City Fire Department, Lamar Fire Department, Cedar County Sheriff’s deputies, Lamar Police officers, ODET investigators and Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers searched the wooded area on NE 100th Lane, north of C Hwy., but Rapue was not located at the time. During the ongoing investigation numerous individuals that might have had information regarding the missing person case were interviewed.

On Sunday, April 5, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by numerous agencies, once again searched the property on NE 10th Lane, looking for Rapue and once again he was not located during the search.

Following the discovery of the body on April 17, during an investigation at the scene where the remains were found, the lead investigators found evidence that led them to believe that the individual had committed suicide. After further examination of the remains, the cause of death has been listed as suicide.

The Barton County Sheriff’s Department and the family of Michael Rapue would like to thank all those involved with the search.

Poster Comment:

Now why would this guy off himself in the woods nowhere near where he lived?