Family says remains of New York couple missing since 1980 were those found in Glynn County pond: report

GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. – A decades-old mystery has been solved in Glynn County after a 1979 Lincoln Continental was found submerged in a pond last week.

Investigators believed the car with human remains inside was potentially linked to a missing couple from 1980.

On Thursday, ABC 7 in New York spoke to the family of the missing couple and they confirmed that the remains found at the bottom of the Georgia pond are Charles and Catherine Romer, who disappeared 44 years ago.

The Romer family released a statement saying:

“We are deeply saddened and equally relieved that our grandparents Charles and Catherine Romer’s 44-year mystery disappearance has been solved. While this discovery brings closure, it still has been very emotional. Sadly, Charles Romer Jr, Jim Romer and Frank Heller are not with us to share this momentous turn of events and to know their parents will finally be laid to rest in peace. We want to express our gratitude to Glynn County Police, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Sunshine State Sonar for their time dedication and expertise. A special appreciation and thanks goes out to Jason Souhrada Myrtle Beach, SC. Jason pinpointed the exact location of the vehicle and shared his findings with all the agencies involved.”

The breakthrough began with cold case enthusiast Jason Souhrada, who used sonar equipment to identify the vehicle. Sunshine State Sonar, a volunteer diving team, confirmed the discovery, and Glynn County Police, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), reopened the case.

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“It’s a good feeling knowing they might finally get some answers,” Mike Sullivan of Sunshine State Sonar told News4JAX this week. “You feel for the family.”

The pond, near I-95, was drained to allow investigators access to the vehicle.

“All the investigations and psychics and everything, the police, they worked so hard, and Blackwater divers have been searching for years. And they thought it was foul play,” Christine Seaman Heller, granddaughter of the missing woman, told ABC 7.

Charles, an oil company executive, and his wife Catherine were on their way back to New York following a vacation in Miami when they disappeared after staying at Brunswick Holiday Inn, which is now called the Royal Inn.

The car was found in a retention pond right by the motel, leading some to think the couple may have accidentally put the car in reverse and drove into the pond.