Construction worker vanishes in home, found dead in water tank, MO officials say

A man who went missing while doing construction work on a house was found dead in a water tank under the home’s porch, Missouri officials say.

A construction worker was working on the Hallsville home June 23 when he briefly left the job site, according to the Boone County Fire Protection District. When he returned, he was unable to find his coworker.

Firefighters conducted a search of the area, and they determined the construction worker had not left the scene, authorities said in a news release.

“Fire crews then began pumping water from the cistern using trash pumps,” officials said. “During this operation, the body of an adult male was discovered deceased in the water-filled cistern.”

The victim was identified by KOMU as 73-year-old Joni Miller. His granddaughter told the station he had fallen through the floor of the home.

“He was definitely someone who knew everyone,” Nicole Vanlandingham told KOMU. “He’d definitely be tickled to be being talked about right now, and (I) definitely could hear his voice in my head. (He) cared about everyone, loved us girls, loved his daughter and sons... he loved everybody.”

An investigation into the incident is ongoing by the Boone County Medical Examiner’s Office and Hallsville Police Department, fire officials said.

Hallsville is about a 130-mile drive northwest from St. Louis.

This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 8:28 AM.