Saturday late morning started like any other weekend along the edge of town. That changed around 11:30 a.m. when authorities got a call about a body found near the Waverly Rail Trail. Police units pulled up to the scene and taped off the area while investigators began putting together what happened.
Officers identified the man as 34-year-old Justin Allen Patten. He lived down the road in Waterloo, Iowa. Officers reached out to his family right away to share the tragic news.

Those close to Justin are now dealing with a sudden loss that nobody saw coming. Friends and family remember him as a guy who loved a good laugh and built strong connections with the people in his life. Losing someone so quickly leaves a hole that words just cannot fix.
Preliminary notes from local police show that Justin’s death appears to be a suicide. Waverly police made sure to tell the community early on that there was no active danger or threat to anyone else in the area.
An official ruling on how Justin died is still pending. The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner will run an autopsy to confirm the exact cause and details of his death.
The news comes at the start of September, which marks Suicide Prevention Month nationwide. It brings up the hard truth about quiet battles people fight every day without showing it on the outside.
People across the community are sending thoughts to Justin’s family as they navigate this tough time. For anyone going through a rough patch, help is around the clock at the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
Friends say holding onto those good memories will help them get through the days ahead. They hope people remember Justin for how he lived, not just how his story ended on a quiet trail.






