On May 13, 2023, at approximately 9:45 A.M., the Clinton County Sheriffs Office responded to the Ben
Martinsen Wildlife Area (Hwy 67, South of Folletts, lA.), to a report of a missing person. Upon arrival, deputies
met with two teenage campers, who reported their 18 year old friend Benjamin Williams, missing from the
campsite. First responders from the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, Low Moor Fire Department and an offduty Camanche Firefighter began searching the wildlife area and the backwaters of the Wapsipinicon River.
Deputies also summoned the assistance of a K-9 unit from the Clinton Police Department and a drone to assist
in the search for the missing person.
At approximately 10:28 A.M., the body of Benjamin Williams was discovered in the backwaters of the
Wapsipinicon River by the off-duty Camanche Firefighter. Williams was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The case still remains under investigation by the Clinton County Sheriffs Office and the Clinton County Medical
Examiner.
