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2mo ago

Forensic Testing Under Way After Recovery of Submerged 1963 Buick Tied to 1967 Cold Case

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting tests on remains believed to be Roy George Benn’s after authorities matched the car’s VIN

Officers from the Stearns County Sheriff's Office work to recovery the vehicle from the Mississippi River.
Roy George Benn was last heard from in September 1967, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Investigators search the Mississippi River after receiving word of a car found in the river in Sartell, Minnesota, on August 14.

Overview

  • Two fishermen detected an unusual sonar image in the Mississippi River on Aug. 9, leading divers to recover a 1963 metallic blue Buick Electra on Aug. 13.
  • Stearns County investigators matched the vehicle identification number to Roy George Benn, who disappeared in September 1967 while carrying a large sum of cash.
  • Human remains and personal artifacts found inside the car are believed to be Benn’s, though decades underwater may limit certain forensic techniques.
  • The Benton County Sheriff’s Office has taken charge of the missing-persons inquiry, notified Benn’s next of kin and secured familial DNA samples.
  • The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office has begun forensic DNA analysis to confirm the identity and determine Benn’s cause of death.