44 years ago, a wealthy New York couple disappeared without a trace in Georgia, but two volunteer divers found what was believed to be their car submerged in a murky pond near the hotel where they were staying. Apparently it took just 7 minutes. .
Former oil company executive Charles Romer, 73, and his wife Katherine, 75, disappeared with their 1978 Lincoln in the spring of 1980. The couple, who live in Scarsdale, New York, were on their way home from Miami Beach, Florida, when they checked into a Holiday Inn in Brunswick. .
Hotel employees were concerned that the bed was empty and reported the person missing. The couple were known to carry expensive jewelry, prompting fears that they were victims of fraud or robbery.
Woman identified in unsolved case of body found in suitcase in Georgia 35 years ago
Charles and Katherine Romer are pictured in the top right, in a photo of what is believed to be their car and divers removing debris.
Diver Mike Sullivan told FOX News Digital that the hotel is located next to a pond that has been searched many times before, but visibility was poor and searchers were unable to break through. It is said that there was not.
But on Friday, the cold case suddenly heated up as Sullivan and his brother John Martin searched the pond in a small 6-foot boat and specialized sonar equipment detected a vehicle at the bottom of the pond. I uploaded it.
Sullivan said he immediately dove to the bottom of the lake and pulled the nose of the 1978 Lincoln out. Human remains and a large amount of jewelry were also found inside the car.
“We arrived at the pond around 10 a.m. and found the car seven minutes later at 10:07 a.m.,” Sullivan said.
The pair, who run Sunshine State Sonar, a Florida-based volunteer search and rescue organization, then called police, who arrived at the scene.
When the water in the pond is drained, Lincoln is submerged. (Sunshine State Sonar)
Glynn County police and the Camden County Dive Team attempted to pull the Lincoln out of the water, causing the vehicle to spin and tear off its axle, according to video provided by Sullivan.
He said police then drained the pond, exposing the badly deteriorated car and eventually removing it.
“This vehicle is similar to the description of the vehicle that Charles and Catherine Romer were believed to be driving when they were reported missing in April 1980,” the Glynn County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Ta. “At this time, there is no conclusion as to the identity of the body found.”
Police have not said what happened to the car or the people found inside.
Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect's lawyer says new testimony links him to two more victims
The backseat of the car they found had the initials “CRR” embroidered on the left and an axle with wheels on the right. (Sunshine State Sonar)
Sullivan believes the bodies are those of the couple, who may have accidentally reversed into the pond while trying to park and tragically drowned. .
Sullivan said the couple's Lincoln was custom-built, and the couple's initials “CRR” were embroidered on the back seat of the car where they were found.
The Romers checked into the Holiday Inn at Interstate 95 and Route 341 just before 4 p.m. on April 8, 1980, and took their luggage to their room. Around 5 p.m., a Georgia Highway Patrol trooper saw the couple's car south of Brunswick near several restaurants, but neither the Romers nor their car were seen again.
”“It looks like he was parked at a diner and accidentally stepped on the gas while he was parked and backed into the lake,” Sullivan said. Headlights are facing the coast. He accidentally backed into the lake. ”
Sullivan said police found tens of thousands of dollars worth of diamonds wrapped in the carpet in the trunk.
”A diamond ring, necklace, gold wallet, and gold diamond wallet were also found. We even found one with their initials on it,” he says.
The pond's proximity to the hotel and the time it took to break through have raised questions about why it wasn't discovered sooner.
”This pond has been inspected many times over the years as it was literally 100 yards from our hotel room. The problem was that sonar technology wasn't available in 1980,” Sullivan said.
“Divers go into the pond and swim around to get a feel for the cars, but when visibility is zero, it's very difficult to find cars doing that. If you're lucky, it can be very difficult. But they tried, they probably came inside.'' They looked for the footwell of the car, but couldn't find it. ”
Sullivan said they were initially called to the scene for a tip about a Ford sedan that had reportedly been submerged in water. He said no bodies were found near the vehicle.
Sunshine State Sonar's work is done for free, he says.
“No one is hiring us. We work with law enforcement on cold cases, and we take on these cases pro bono for free,” Sullivan said. “We specialize in underwater sonar and are also a diving team.”
Click to get the FOX News app
Diver underwater at the scene. (Sunshine State Sonar)
“We have a database of all missing-car cases. These are specific types of missing persons cases where the victim's car has not been recovered. So what we do is: Go to where they were last known to be missing, and what we do is look at all the water in the last known places where these people were. ”
“And the reason we were at that pond is because that's the pond in front of the hotel they were staying at.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
