The family of a wealthy Scarsdale couple feared murdered for the past 44 years is relieved after the elderly couple's car was likely found in a Georgia pond a stone's throw from their hotel. did. New insights into this mysterious unsolved case have been gained.
When Charles and Katherine Romer disappeared on their way home from a sunny Florida winter in April 1980, investigators and local residents suspected the wealthy couple in an upscale New York suburb had committed a violent robbery. She suspected she might have been targeted, said Kate's granddaughter Christine Seeman Heller. week.
But on Friday, a car resembling the Romers' 1979 Lincoln Continental was accidentally discovered in a pond just 70 meters from the then-Holiday Inn in Brunswick where they were staying. gave a sense of closure and new hope. It was simply a “terrible accident,” Seaman Heller told the Post.
“So it's incredibly comforting to think that this wasn't an act of violence, it was just a terrible accident,” she explained after speaking with police on Monday.
“It's not that I don't want anything to happen to my loved ones, it's just that they weren't violent or scary or had a terrible ending. As horrible as it was, we were all guided. It wasn't the ending.'' I've believed that for years. ”
Glynn County police announced Wednesday that after the pond was drained, the car was finally pulled from the pond Tuesday night, and human remains inside the vehicle indicated two bodies were inside.
Investigators still need to identify the bodies and confirm that the car that was found belonged to the Romer family. The cause of death has also not been determined.
The car also contained jewelry, including a Rolex watch and a diamond ring, the family said.
Heller, a sailor who was about 15 years old in 1980 and one of nine sisters, said investigators said Charles and Catherine, who are in their mid-70s, were likely victims of “something horrible.” He recalled telling his family.
Her father frequently had to travel to Georgia to identify the bodies of missing persons that were discovered.
“There was just constant sadness and fear,” she said.
Crewman Heller stressed that nothing has been confirmed yet, but police have told the family that it appears the car accidentally went into the pond.
The car was discovered by a group of volunteer divers from the Sunshine State Sonar Team, who received a tip from a YouTuber who visited the pond and spotted another unrelated sedan in the water, the dive team's owner told The Post. spoke.
When divers entered the water, they also discovered the Lincoln Continental, said owner Mike Sullivan.
“We were 100 yards from room 149 where they were staying,” he added. “And we surveyed the waters.”
Charles Romer, a retired oil company executive, and his first wife were lifelong friends with Katherine Romer and her first husband. The two married after their respective spouses died.
They were each worth about $1 million, and Kate was reportedly wearing between $60,000 and $80,000 worth of jewelry at the time of her disappearance, according to an Associated Press report from the 1980s.
“She was one of those grandmothers who made all of us feel special,” Seaman-Heller said.
A police spokesperson said it was unclear whether the pond had been searched at the time of the pair's disappearance, but local Andy Mavromat told the newspaper he remembered the body of water being scoured at the time. spoke.
Even if searched, Sullivan stressed that finding the car was like looking for a needle in a haystack because visibility was “terrible.”
Crewman Heller said she and the rest of the family are heartened that law enforcement and even volunteers are still interested in cold cases.
“We all felt we were her favorites,” Seaman-Heller said of Katherine.
“She was one of those wonderful people who was larger than life, spoke French, was creative, and loved life. It was always a big fuss.”
