Human remains found in 1960s-era car pulled from Mississippi River in Sartell
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Authorities in central Minnesota say human remains were recovered from a vehicle pulled from the Mississippi River late Wednesday — and may provide the answer to a missing-person case from 1967.
While the remains have not been definitively identified, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that based on items found in the car and a matching vehicle identification number, it believes the remains are those of 59-year-old Roy George Benn.
Benn went missing in September 1967. He was last seen in Sauk Rapids — not far from Sartell — driving a 1963 four-door blue Buick Electra. A Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension bulletin on Benn says he was carrying a large amount of money when he was last seen.
The sheriff’s office said a fisherman reported seeing an anomaly in the river — possibly a car — on sonar last weekend in Sartell.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Officials organized a dive team search on Wednesday, where divers confirmed it was a vehicle. Sartell police reported the 1960s-era Buick sedan was removed from the river at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“The vehicle, intact but severely deteriorated, had been underwater for decades and was filled with river sediment” and human remains, Sartell police reported in a news release early Thursday.
The human remains will be sent to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the identity and cause of death.
The Benton County Sheriff's Office is investigating the case.
