In early March of 2019, concern began to mount for the well-being of Michael Shawn Irish, a 55-year-old White/Caucasian male. On Saturday, March 2nd, the gifted pediatric surgeon visited the Clive, Iowa home of his ex-wife to take their two children for an outing. Before he departed, however, he made some statements and left behind certain items that caused his ex-wife to worry about his state of mind.
Communication with Irish ceased later that evening, with the last text messages being exchanged just before 11 p.m. Attempts to reach him by phone or text on March 3rd were unsuccessful.
By Monday, March 4th, with no word from Irish, his ex-wife filed a missing person report with the Clive Police. Investigators learned that he did not have a permanent home address at the time, and attempts to locate him by pinging his cell phone were fruitless as the device was powered off. Recognizing the potential danger, law enforcement entered his information and the description of his black 2016 Ford F-150 pickup truck into a national database for missing and endangered individuals.
The search came to a somber end on the morning of March 6th. At approximately 8:54 a.m., a citizen reported seeing Irish's truck in a parking area of Walnut Woods Park in West Des Moines. Officers from the West Des Moines and Clive Police departments, along with the Polk County Medical Examiner's Office, responded to the scene. Inside the vehicle, they discovered Michael Irish, deceased. A preliminary investigation conducted at the scene indicated that he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There was no indication of foul play, and no suspects were sought in connection with his death.
