Officials with the Iowa State University Department of Public Safety confirmed this afternoon that the body found on ISU’s old dairy farm is that of missing student Jon Lacina.

Lacina's body was found at approximately 8:30 p.m. Wednesday by an ISU police officer who was searching the area. The body was  in an “isolated room” in the building, which is located approximately a mile from central campus across the street from the Towers residential halls.

ISU Police Director Jerry Stewart said it may be a matter of days or weeks before investigators learn what caused Lacina’s death.

“The investigation will rely heavily upon the results of the autopsy performed by the Office of the State Medical Examiner. This is standard procedure and required by law,” Stewart said in a news release.

Lacina, 21, of Grinnell, was last seen Jan. 22 at 300 Stanton Ave., where he was attending a small gathering with friends. Investigators have said that alcohol was consumed at the gathering but have not been able to indicate whether Lacina was intoxicated.

Witnesses said Lacina mentioned that he was headed home, most likely meaning his dorm room in Buchanan Hall. However, no one witnessed Lacina heading that way. The body was found on the opposite side of campus from Lacina’s dorm.

Just before 11 p.m. Jan. 22, a two-second incomplete phone call originated from Lacina’s cell phone to a friend. The call was placed from somewhere in the Campustown area.

Lacina was reported missing by his father, Tom Lacina, at 8:39 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30. A multi-agency search was launched, but searchers had to contend with snowy conditions that resulted in at least one officer sustaining an injury.

Since then, officials have continued looking, including an exhaustive search of ISU’s Lake LaVerne by dive teams.

Stewart said the area Lacina was found in had previously been searched, but when officers searched there in February, snow was waist-deep. Since then, officers had focused on a four-mile-radius area; the dairy building was just outside the core search area.  amestrib