Human remains discovered in a submerged car in Florida are thought to be Mary Lou Combs.

Human Remains and Car Recovered in Florida Disappearance Case

More than two decades after a Florida mother vanished without a trace, divers have found human remains and her submerged vehicle in a nearby waterway.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reported the recovery of parts from a red 1996 Plymouth Neon, personal items such as clothing and children’s toys, a Florida driver’s license, and what is believed to be the body of Mary Lou Combs from Palm Coast.

Combs was last seen on August 19, 2003, leaving the home where she frequently stayed with her mother and three children. She never returned home.

Concerns grew when she failed to show up for her daughter’s birthday party days later.

Although Combs had a history of disappearing, her family insisted it was out of character for her to miss events involving her children.

Interestingly, she never picked up her last paycheck from her job at a local Food Lion.

For years, investigators pursued various leads and searched different areas, but nothing materialized.

However, the situation shifted in October 2025 when a volunteer dive team discovered a bumper that appeared to belong to Combs’ missing car in the Intracoastal Waterway near Palm Coast.

The vehicle was later found inverted in 14 to 17 feet of water and mud.

A multi-day recovery operation began on February 3, involving the FBI’s Underwater Search Evidence Response Team and other organizations.

Divers entered the submerged car and employed dredging equipment to retrieve its contents.

Among the items recovered were a handle labeled “neon,” a manual window crank, floor mats, size 7 shoes believed to match those of Combs, along with toys and a child seat.

Investigators also found bones, including a metal plate, which could align with the ankle reconstruction surgery that Combs had before her disappearance.

Authorities are in the process of checking if the serial number matches her medical records.

Sheriff Rick Staley expressed hope that the diligent work of detectives would provide answers to Combs’ family and “finally put their loved one to peace.”

“All evidence collected so far suggests that the remains we recovered are those of Mary Lou Combs,” Staley said. “This wasn’t the outcome anyone wanted, but given how long she’d been missing, the chances of her being found alive were minimal.”

There have been longstanding rumors suggesting Combs may have died at a party and was later disposed of, but investigators currently believe she might have accidentally driven her car into the water and drowned.