A man who went fishing in the Mississippi River in Minnesota may have helped solve a nearly 60-year-old cold case, according to officials.
Brody Loch, an experienced fisherman, said he alerted authorities after discovering a 1960s Buick submerged in the river earlier this month.
He had spotted the vehicle in the water using a sonar device on August 9. However, it wasn’t until the next day, after checking to see whether the car was still there, that he called the authorities.
Within days, a tow truck crew and sheriff’s divers had recovered the vehicle. Human remains were also found inside.
Although the vehicle was intact, it was filled with river sediment and had badly deteriorated after being submerged for so many years.
After looking at the car’s vehicle identification number, investigators were able to determine that the vehicle belonged to Roy Benn, a 59-year-old man who was reported missing in September 1967.
Authorities have sent the remains to the medical examiner’s office for identification. However, based on personal items recovered from the car, officials believe they belong to Benn.
Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka has handed the case over to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Troy Heck told reporters that Benn’s surviving family has already been notified.
According to a missing persons notice issued by Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety, Benn was last seen on September 25, 1967, driving a 1963 metallic blue Buick Electra.
He was also reportedly carrying a large sum of cash – reportedly several hundreds of dollars -at the time.
Benn was the owner of an appliance repair shop in St. Cloud, Minnesota, when he disappeared, according to the local daily newspaper.
His wife had died one year before his disappearance.
Back then, Benn’s brother, Walter, had worked with officials on the case. Despite receiving several leads, however, it never turned into something definitive and the case went cold.
One year after his disappearance, Walter decided to sell his missing brother’s personal belongings.
Benn was later declared legally dead in 1975, eight years after he was last seen.
With the vehicle’s discovery, Loch hopes Benn’s family is finally closer to getting answers about his disappearance.
Investigators are now working to determine the circumstances of the incident. Sartell Police Chief Brandon Silgjord said the personal items found in the vehicle will “definitely help” with the investigation.
