GRAND RIVER, IA — Authorities in southern Iowa say a missing Amish teenager has been found safe after an early search that drew public attention across Clarke and Decatur counties. The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday morning that 14-year-old Elmer Miller was located and is safe.

Miller had walked away from his family farm south of Murray and was last seen Monday afternoon in Grand River, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials had asked residents to watch for him and to share any information about where he might be.

Sheriff’s office ended the search with a safety update Tuesday morning

The update came at 7 a.m. Tuesday, when the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office said the teen had been found. No further details were released about where he was located or who found him.

The announcement marked the end of the search effort that began after Miller disappeared from his family farm. Authorities did not immediately say whether he had been injured or needed medical care, only that he was safe.

The brief statement was the only public update provided by the sheriff’s office after the teen was recovered.

Miller was last seen Monday afternoon in Grand River

Before he was found, the sheriff’s office said Miller had last been seen Monday afternoon in Grand River, a town in neighboring Decatur County. He had left the family farm south of Murray sometime earlier in the day.

That timeline gave deputies and the public a narrow window to work from as they tried to track his movements. The two communities are both in rural southern Iowa, where farms, small towns, and county roads can stretch a search area quickly.

Officials did not say how Miller made his way from the farm to Grand River or whether anyone had seen him along the route.

Authorities described his clothing and appearance for the public

Because Miller is part of the Amish community, officials said there was no photo available to share with the public. Instead, the sheriff’s office released a detailed description intended to help residents identify him.

He was described as having fair skin, blue eyes, and blonde curly hair. When he was last seen, he was wearing dark denim pants with suspenders, a blue or green shirt, muck boots, and a straw hat.

That clothing description was central to the public appeal, since deputies asked anyone who spotted someone matching it to contact law enforcement quickly.

Residents were asked to contact local law enforcement with any lead

The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office urged anyone who saw Miller or had information about his location to call their local sheriff’s department. The request reflected the need for help from people in both Clarke and Decatur counties and nearby areas.

Public tips can be especially important in rural searches, where one sighting can narrow down a teen’s path or confirm whether someone traveled by foot, vehicle, or horse and buggy. Officials did not release any additional search details.

With Miller now reported safe, the immediate public alert has been closed, though the sheriff’s office has not shared any further information about the circumstances of his disappearance or recovery.

Amish community details shaped how officials shared the alert

The sheriff’s office noted that Miller is Amish, which affected how the alert was presented to the public. Without a photograph, deputies relied on a physical description and clothing details instead of an image that might normally accompany a missing-person notice.

That made the written description the main way for residents to recognize him. It also reflected the realities of serving a community where families may keep a lower public profile and where local law enforcement has to communicate quickly and carefully during an urgent search.

In this case, the safety update brought the search to a close within hours of the original appeal.