A 50-year-old cold case has come to a tragic end with the discovery of a car containing human remains at the bottom of a canal in Florida.
Officials believe the remains belong to Doris Wurst, 34, and her 3-year-old daughter, Caren, who disappeared in 1974.
The mother and daughter were last seen on November 7, 1974, and were believed to be traveling in a red 1961 Chevrolet Impala.
Read: Without A Trace: 18-Year-Old Colleen Perris Disappeared In Florida, September 2000
Despite numerous attempts to reopen the investigation over the years, the case remained unsolved.
In June 2023, Plantation Police partnered with Sunshine State Sonar, a volunteer search and recovery team, to search for Doris and Caren.
On August 10, divers discovered a 1960s Chevy Impala in a canal on West Broward Boulevard. Human remains, consistent with an adult and child, were found inside the vehicle along with personal belongings, including clothing, toys, and a saxophone.
Read: Without A Trace: 1981 Disappearance Of Mary Opitz From Mall Parking Lot In Florida
“While conducting sonar search operations in the Broward Boulevard canal at 11:17 AM, we discovered the submerged remains of their red and white 1961 Chevrolet Impala. We notified detectives from the Plantation Police Department and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. BSO divers located two sets of skeletal remains in the vehicle, one of which was that of a small child. All indications point to a tragic motor vehicle accident into the canal. DNA results are still pending,” said Sunshine State Sonar.
While official identification is pending, evidence suggests a tragic car accident led to the vehicle ending up in the canal. The discovery brings a somber closure to a decades-long mystery.
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