Car linked to person missing since 2013 found in Missouri pond: “Major break”

A car linked to a man who went missing 10 years ago in central Missouri was recovered recently from a pond in the county where he was last seen, authorities said. The sheriff’s office called the discovery a “major break” in the missing person case of Donald L. Erwin, who disappeared at the end of December 2013 in Camden County, which is in the Ozarks.

Erwin was last seen at around 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2013, according to the bulletin describing his case. At the time, he was driving a silver 2002 Hyundai Elantra with the Missouri license plate MK6-E3P. On Saturday, a light-colored passenger car with a license plate matching Erwin’s was pulled from a pond on private property in a section of the county called Camdenton, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Investigators have determined that the vehicle is Erwin’s Hyundai Elantra, and the sheriff’s office said his family was notified of the development. Deputies and detectives from the sheriff’s office were able to pull it from the private pond with help from a fire protection district dive team — only after it was initially spotted by a freelance videographer and drone pilot who took an interest in Erwin’s disappearance and began to investigate independently. 

The videographer, James Hinkle, contacted the owner of the property where the small pond is located earlier this month, hoping to probe the area more thoroughly after believing his drone had spotted a submerged car in the water while flying overhead. Authorities said Hinkle received permission from the property owner to search the area on foot and by kayak, which is how he discovered the Elantra. Hinkle shared a video of the search and discovery to his YouTube channel, Echo Divers.

Erwin was 59 years old when he disappeared. Authorities have described him as standing 5 feet 8 inches tall, with brown eyes and brown hair. On the day he was last seen, Erwin wore a blue coat, blue jeans and gray loafers. He was missing his left leg above the knee and had a scar from his left elbow to his left wrist. The missing person bulletin for Erwin noted that he might be using crutches if he were to be found.

Investigators were processing the recovered Elantra for evidence on Monday and searching both the pond and surrounding area for any human remains, the sheriff’s office said. In their news release, the office thanked “all the law enforcement officers, firefighters, and volunteers who have helped investigate this case over the past ten years.”