A Minnesota fisherman who discovered a submerged car in the Mississippi River while using a sonar device may have cracked a cold case dating back nearly 60 years. Brody Loch spotted the vehicle near Sartell on 9 August and alerted authorities, who recovered it and found human remains inside.
The car, a 1963 Buick Electra, was traced via its vehicle identification number to Roy Benn, a 59-year-old man reported missing in September 1967. Benn, who ran an appliance repair service in St Cloud, was last seen carrying a large sum of money. His wife had died the year before his disappearance.
Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka confirmed the remains are believed to be Benn's, pending identification by a medical examiner. The case has been transferred to the Benton County Sheriff's Office, which notified Benn's family and requested DNA samples. Sheriff Troy Heck expressed hope that the discovery would bring closure to the family.
Benn's brother Walter had assisted investigators in the 1960s, but leads never materialized. Benn was declared legally dead in 1975. The car, though severely deteriorated and filled with sediment, remained intact. Loch described the find as '100% luck' and expressed hope that Benn's family would finally get answers.
