A 21-year-old Army National Guardsman from Iowa committed suicide in Holmen in the home of his ex-girlfriend late Friday night.
The ex-girlfriend told police she had gotten off work from the Company Store at 11:30 p.m. and found that she had missed a call on her cell phone. When she retrieved the message, there was a voicemail from her ex-boyfriend’s sister calling to ask if the ex-girlfriend knew where her brother Jake Clements was, as he was missing.
According to the police report, the ex-girlfriend called the sister and learned that Clements had not reported for his military drills and that no one could find him.
According to her written statement, the ex-girlfriend told Clements’ sister she hadn’t seen him and she went home. When she arrived at her house on Brook Lane, the ex-girlfriend and a friend walked through the house, turning on lights and checking each room on the main floor.
The ex-girlfriend tried to call Clements, and he picked up but hung up before responding. She called him back and he answered. She asked where he was and he said around. When she pressed, he admitted to being in her basement.
She asked why and he said he wanted to see her one last time, that he was sorry and that he loved her. Clement’s ex-girlfriend told police when she asked what he was talking about, she heard a loud bang.
Clements’ ex-girlfriend collapsed upon learning that he was in the basement. The friend called 911 after hearing the gunshot and they both left the house and went to a neighbor’s home to wait for police. The police report said the call came in at 11:57 p.m.
Police found Clements body in the basement of the home, bleeding from the head with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound that went through his mouth, exited above his left ear and went through a wall above the bed.
Clements was found with a gun that had been discharged, a fully loaded 45-caliber magazine and a partial bottle of wine. The gun, a 45-caliber Springfield, was still in Clements hand loaded with five live rounds of ammunition, with one in the chamber. There was no suicide note.
Holmen Police Chief Mike McHugh said the event was still under investigation and that they were working with the military. He saiod he thought Clements had returned from Iraq a couple months ago and there was speculation he was returning to Iraq soon.
Clements was from Boone, Iowa. There was no forced entry into the home and it was presumed that Clements still had a key to the home from the past relationship.
Clements’ ex-girlfriend declined to speak with the media.

