Incredible turn of events: Missing couple's vehicle recovered after decades
USA - There's been an incredible breakthrough in a 44-year-old cold case: a missing couple's car was found in a lake just yards from their home!
On their way back to their home in Georgia from a sunny winter in the US state of Florida, Charles and Catherine Romer disappeared without a trace.
Investigators initially suspected that the wealthy couple might have been the victims of a brutal robbery.
However, as the New York Post reported, there was a decisive breakthrough in the case last Friday. Around 65 meters away from the Holiday Inn where the couple had last lived, a vehicle was discovered that resembled that of the couple.
This discovery gave the bereaved family at least some certainty on the one hand, and new hope on the other that the death of the two was possibly just a "terrible accident".
"Just the thought that it could have been a tragic accident rather than an act of violence is an incredible relief," said Catherine Romer's granddaughter Christine Seaman Heller.
Police confirmed that the vehicle was recovered from a nearby lake on Tuesday after it was drained. Human remains were found in the wreckage, indicating two people.
Charles and Catherine Romer have been missing for 44 years
According to the family, several pieces of jewelry were also recovered from the depths, including a Rolex watch and a diamond ring.
Investigators must now identify the remains and confirm whether they are indeed Charles and Catherine Romer. The exact cause of death also remains unclear.
Christine Seaman Heller emphasized that while nothing has been definitively confirmed yet, police have told the family that the car is believed to have accidentally driven into the pond.
The vehicle was discovered by a group of volunteer divers who were following up a tip from a YouTuber. The latter had investigated the pond and discovered a sedan in the water.
When the divers got into the lake, they eventually found what they thought was the missing couple's car.
It is unclear whether the pond was being searched at the time of the couple's disappearance, a police spokesman said. However, a local resident said he remembered the waters being searched at the time.