$20,000 reward for information about missing Hampton man renewed

By: 
Nick Pedley

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Hampton Police Chief Bob Schaefer announced late Friday afternoon that a $20,000 reward has been renewed for information leading to the whereabouts of missing Hampton man Ethan Kazmerzak.

Kazmerzak, 22, has been missing since he was last seen at various local bars on the night of Sept. 15, 2013. Investigators have followed up on numerous leads since his disappearance, but came up empty-handed in every instance. They’ve scoured fields and ditches, done aerial searches, and sent dive teams to the bottoms of area lakes and ponds searching for potential evidence.

Local residents pooled together a $20,000 reward in late October for any information leading to Kazmerzak’s return. The group had hoped to have him home safely by Thanksgiving, but nothing panned out. The reward expired on Dec. 2, 2013.

“The $20,000 reward previously offered is being renewed and offered for any relevant and useful information that leads to the location and/or safe return of Ethan Kazmerzak,” Schaefer wrote in Friday's press release. “The reward has been pooled together by a group of five anonymous donors.”

Schaefer told the Hampton City Council during a department update on March 13 that there were no new leads in the case. The police chief had already left his office when the Chronicle attempted to reach him for comment late Friday afternoon.

Kazmerzak has dark blonde hair, a beard, and wears glasses with thick black frames. He is 5-foot, 5-inches tall, about 185 pounds, and was last seen wearing peach-colored shorts and a white/teal printed shirt. He has a Grateful Dead tattoo on his upper left arm.

Kazmerzak drives a silver 2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI with Iowa license plate AUZ382.

If you have any information about Kazmerzak’s whereabouts, please call North Iowa Crime Stoppers at 800-383-0088 or the Hampton Police Department at 641-456-2529.

Hampton Chronicle

9 Second Street NW
Hampton, IA 50441
Phone: 641-456-2585
Fax: 1-800-340-0805
Email: news@midamericapub.com

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