The remains of a mum have been discovered inside a submerged car more than two decades after she mysteriously disappeared.
Mary Lou Combs vanished in 2003 after leaving the home she shared with her mother and three children.
But the 41-year-old’s family became concerned when she failed to turn up to her daughter’s birthday party.
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Although Mary Lou had briefly disappeared before, relatives said missing her child’s celebration was completely out of character.
She also never picked up her final pay cheque from work.
For years investigators searched multiple locations but no evidence surfaced.
Now divers have recovered human remains in the mum’s submerged car from a waterway at Palm Coast, Florida.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced that divers recovered parts of a red 1996 Plymouth Neon, clothing, children’s toys, a driver’s license and human remains believed to be those of Mary Lou Combs.
Investigators recovered a bone containing a metal plate believed to match an ankle reconstruction surgery Combs had undergone before she disappeared, as reported by Need To Know.
Authorities are working to confirm whether the serial numbers match her medical records.
Sheriff Rick Staly said he hoped the tireless work of detectives can give Combs’ family the answers they need to lay their loved one to rest.
He added: “All the evidence gathered thus far suggests that the remains we have recovered are those of Mary Lou Combs.
“While this is not the outcome anyone hoped for, we knew locating Mary alive was extremely unlikely given the length of time she had been missing.”
Investigators say evidence suggests she may have accidentally driven into a waterway and drowned.
The remains are now with the medical examiner.
DNA testing is underway to confirm identity and determine cause of death.
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