The clues to solve that mystery may be at the bottom of a retention pond off I-95 in south Georgia.
A team of divers found the rusting, deteriorating remains of a 1979 Lincoln Continental. Investigators found a human bone inside the vehicle.
"The rust, corrosion, all kinds of bacteria is gonna develop on that car. And in trying to clean that stuff to see if you can find something...it's going to be difficult," Ken Jefferson, a crime and safety expert, said.
Investigators believe the car and the remains may be tied to the case of a missing oil company executive and his wife. Charles and Catherine Romer of Scarsdale, New York disappeared in April 1980.
The widespread effort to find them led to one of the most extensive police searches in state history.
Detectives with the Glynn County Police Department working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will now drain the pond in a search for more remains.
At this time there is no conclusion about the identity of the remains that were found, Glynn County Police said.
Investigators have pieced together some facts:
The Romers were on their way back to New York following a vacation in Miami.
They checked into the Brunswick Holiday Inn, which is now the Royal Inn.
The following day, housekeepers found bags and personal items in the room.
"I just hope it's gonna bring whatever happens, however it plays out, it brings closure for the family," Andy Mavermat, former Holiday Inn manager, said.
The Romers were in their 70's when they disappeared.
As for what happened, one of the divers told a local reporter in Georgia that perhaps the couple accidentally put the car in reverse and drove into the pond, adding the signs right now indicate a tragic accident.
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