No suspects named in Johns case

Just over a week after authorities positively identified the body of 28-year-old Michael Johns of Grundy Center in rural Floyd County, law enforcement officials have not publicly named any persons of interest in the suspected homicide.
           
Johns went missing on October 25 and was last seen entering a gas station in the Greene/Charles City area the next day. Investigators ramped up efforts to locate him in late November, and his body was discovered on December 1. So far, the agencies in charge of the case have remained tight-lipped on the matter as they gather more details. 
           
“The DCI is still investigating it, and there’s a lot of work to be done,” Floyd County Sergeant Travis Bartz said. “There’s no threat to the public, and I’m positive and confident that we’re moving in a good direction toward a resolution.”
           
Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt told The Grundy Register that due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, he could not comment on the cause of death, any potential links to other criminal cases and possible suspects, noting only that progress was being made and that the DCI was working in conjunction with the Floyd and Grundy County sheriff’s offices.
           
“I really can’t comment beyond that at this point… I can’t say anything, for the integrity of the investigation,” Mortvedt said. “We’re just not at liberty to discuss it right now.”
           
Johns’s mother, Julia Chaplin, thanked the community for all of its support during the trying time and remains hopeful that the perpetrator or perpetrators will be caught.
           
“Yeah, I’d like to believe we will,” she said when asked if the family would eventually receive closure. “I’m very optimistic that justice will be served at some point.”
           
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office at (641) 228-1821. 
 
This story will be updated as more details become available. Follow the Grundy Register for complete coverage. Subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here.