BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Glynn County police said its investigators, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, are examining the discovery of human remains inside a submerged car found in a pond near Interstate 95.
The vehicle, a Lincoln Continental, was located Friday between the Royal Inn Hotel and New Jesup Highway by the Sunshine State Sonar Team from Florida. Investigators said the car matches the vehicle description of the vehicle driven by Charles and Catherine Romer, who were reported missing over 40 years ago.
According to a New York Times article, the Romers were last seen in April 1980 after stopping at what was then a Holiday Inn during a trip from Miami to New York. The article adds that Charles Romer was a retired oil executive, and family members had said his wife had between $60,000 to $80,000 worth of jewelry with her.
“With the help of the Camden County Dive Team, investigators recovered one human bone from the car. Crews are now draining the pond using specialized equipment to search for more remains,” Glynn County police said.
Tom Hackney, a crime and safety analyst, provided some insight into how authorities will proceed with their investigation in the missing persons case.
“The Georgia Bureau Investigation, along with Glenn County, will work with whatever medical examiner or coroner covers that area up there,” Hackney said. “Typically, we’ll call in a forensic anthropologist who has that technical doctorate specialty in looking at bones and helping determine whether it’s human or not, and then the age of the bone and which particular bone it was that was recovered.”
He adds that investigators will also see if there are any signs of trauma or an unnatural death from the bone recovered.
“That’s a long time that body had been there,” he said. “And probably one of the real strong reasons why they’re looking at draining that pond is it could be scattered anywhere with that body of water.”
However, Hackney also believes that Glynn County investigators and those with the GBI “have a good chance” of solving the case.
“With just a car and a bone, they at least have somewhere to start now, as opposed to before,” he said. He adds that once the pond is drained, authorities can always go back and look for other types of evidence.
The Glynn County Police Department and the GBI have not confirmed the identity of the remains and all parties are continuing to process the scene in hopes of uncovering more evidence.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about this case to contact the Glynn County Police Department at (912) 554-3645. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Silent Witness at (912) 264-1333.
