A nearly 12-year-old Florida cold case took a major turn when a volunteer dive group discovered a missing woman’s car on New Year’s Eve.
Sandra Lemire left her grandmother’s home in Orlando on May 8, 2012, to go on a date with a man she met online, according to Sunshine State Sonar.
When Lemire arrived in Kissimmee, she called her grandmother and promised to do the same when she left, but she was never heard from again.
Lemire was last seen leaving a Denny’s in Kissimmee, Florida, in a red Ford Freestar minivan.
Read: Without A Trace: Bonnie Lee Dages And Son, Missing From Florida Shopping Center In 1993
On July 2, 2022, Sunshine State Sonar, a dive group that works closely with law enforcement agencies, began looking for Lemire.
They worked with the Orlando Police Department to search 63 different bodies of water for a year and a half.
Orlando Police detectives reportedly shared new information with the team at the end of December, prompting them to map out various areas, including a “variety of highway locations.”
On December 30, team members were searching the retention pond when they came across “what appeared to be a minivan submerged in 14 feet of water.”
Divers went in, found the car, and said the license plate on the van in the pond matched the one Lemire was driving at the time.
Read: Without A Trace: 23-Year-Old Brittany Palmer Vanished In Florida In Aug. 2020
“We located her vehicle submerged in a retention pond on the side of I4 near the Disney World exit in Kissimmee, Florida. Sandra’s remains and personal belongings were recovered today, December 31, 2023,” said Sunshine State Sonar.
“This extremely challenging recovery was an incredible collaboration of different law-enforcement agencies. We would like to thank the Orlando Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, AATR Orlando Towing & Recovery, and Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. All assisted in the recovery,” said SSS.
“Our hearts go out to her family, who supported us along the way. We are saddened by the circumstances but glad we could assist in bringing her home. Rest in peace Sandra, you are finally home,” said SSS.
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