Authorities in Georgia have made a chilling discovery that could help solve a mystery stretching back more than four decades. Investigators found human remains inside a car submerged in a pond, and they believe it might be tied to the disappearance of a New York couple who vanished in 1980.
The vehicle, an old Lincoln Continental, was pulled from a pond in Brunswick on Friday. Inside, a human bone was discovered. To dig deeper into the mystery, the pond was drained, and now authorities are combing through the vehicle for more clues.
Police say the car is strikingly similar to the one Charles and Catherine Romer were last seen driving. The Romers disappeared in April 1980 while traveling back to New York from a vacation in Miami. Their journey ended abruptly near the Brunswick Holiday Inn—now called the Royal Inn. The day after they were last seen, their belongings were found untouched in their hotel room, but the couple was gone without a trace.
The car was found in a pond not far from where the couple was last seen, near Interstate 95 and New Jesup Highway. Authorities are working to confirm if it’s the same 1979 Lincoln Continental the Romers were driving, using the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN). But retrieving the VIN has been tricky due to the car’s condition after decades underwater.
The Glynn County Police Department is working alongside the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to identify the remains. Forensic experts are now on the case, and officials are figuring out how to remove the vehicle without causing further damage.
A big break in this cold case came thanks to Sunshine State Sonar, a nonprofit group that specializes in finding missing persons, and the Camden County Dive Team. Sunshine State Sonar shared on social media that they initially found a different submerged vehicle, but then stumbled upon the second car, which matched the Romers’ car description.
Locals in Brunswick witnessed the discovery. Barry Fahs, who lives nearby, said he saw crews pulling pieces of the car from the pond. He even heard an officer mention that the remains of two people were inside.
For over 40 years, the Romers’ disappearance has haunted their family and their community in Scarsdale, New York. Catherine Romer’s granddaughter, Christine Seaman Heller, remembers the endless searches, police investigations, and even psychics trying to find answers. “It always felt like foul play,” she shared. Her late father, Catherine’s son, spent years traveling to Georgia, hoping to uncover the truth.
Now, there’s a chance for some closure. “This has consumed us for years,” Heller said. “It would mean so much to finally know what happened and have some peace. Maybe it wasn’t something terrible—maybe it was just an accident.”
The discovery has brought hope to a family that’s waited decades for answers. As the investigation continues, they’re holding onto the possibility of finally solving a mystery that’s spanned generations.