GARLAND COUNTY, Ark. — On Saturday, the Garland County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division was able to recover skeletal remains that were found inside a vehicle submerged at the bottom of Lake Hamilton.
According to reports, the Garland County Sheriff's Office got a call on February 22 from a fisherman on the lake that said he saw what looked like a sunken vehicle on his fishing graph.
A few days later both Arkansas Game and Fish and the Garland County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol used sonar and were able to confirm that there was a submerged vehicle.
On March 3, Guardian divers were able to locate the vehicle and they found what looked to be skeletal remains inside. Officers were then called to the scene.
The Hot Springs Fire Department Dive team was also called, and the next day both agencies worked to recover the vehicle by using lift bags and then towing it to a nearby boat ramp.
The Garland County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Garland County Coroner's Office recovered the skeletal remains from inside the vehicle, and it was later discovered that it was associated with a missing person's report filed in February 2008.
The remains have been sent off to the Arkansas Crime Lab to be identified.
Investigators ask anyone who may have information on this incident to reach out to the Garland County Investigation Division at (501) 622-2967.
The investigation into this incident remains ongoing and we will update with more information as soon as it becomes available.