A man was looking for deer antlers in a forest. Instead he found the remains of a missing MMA fighter.

By Marlene Lenthang -

A man searching for deer antlers in a Missouri forest found human remains identified as those of David Koenig, an amateur mixed martial arts fighter who was missing, police said.

The grisly discovery ended a nearly two-year search for Koenig who

.

The remains were found Dec. 22 in the woods near a 3,700 block on Fall Creek Road in the city of Branson, in the Ozarks region, local police reported Monday in a statement.

The man who found them contacted authorities who determined that the remains were human.

MMA fighter David KoenigCourtesy / Via NBC News

Investigators from the Branson Police Department and the Taney County Coroner's Office conducted a "meticulous search" of the area, "recovering most of the remains and other personal artifacts," police explained.

Officials on Monday determined the human remains were those of Koenig.

A forensic pathologist indicated that "

," according to the police statement.

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Investigators spent thousands of hours searching for Koenig, which included inspecting properties in Taney and Stone counties in Missouri, as well as Boone County in Arkansas, police said.

"Our department and amazing group of volunteers never stopped our efforts to find him," said Jeff Matthews, Branson Police Chief. 

"Although

, we offer our sincere condolences to Koenig's family and friends," he said.

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The circumstances of his death remain unclear.

Her mother, Tracy Koenig, has stated that she may have been in danger.

In July 2020, he told the

program

of NBC, Telemundo's sister network, that his son was friends with the owner of the Peach Tree Inn in Branson, where he stayed for a couple of nights before disappearing.

"He sent a message to some of his friends asking for help," he

said then.

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"He thought he might be in some kind of problem, but when they read the messages and tried to answer him, he no longer answered," he lamented.

In March 2020, her family reported her missing to Branson Police and a joint investigation was launched with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

“He's

And he's not a guy that someone can take down, ”her mother claimed in the

interview

.

“He's a big, strong guy, but also with a great personality and a great heart.

He would do anything to protect his family, "he added.