Car found in river may be linked to Sauk Rapids man who disappeared 58 years ago

Missing 1960s car pulled from Mississippi River near Sartell

Authorities say a 1960s-era car discovered by a fisherman in the Mississippi River could be linked to the disappearance of a man nearly 58 years ago in Sauk Rapids, Minn. FOX 9?s Babs Santos has the story.

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities say a 1960s-era car discovered by a fisherman in the Mississippi River could be linked to the disappearance of a man nearly 58 years ago in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota.

READ MORE: Human remains recovered in 1960s car pulled from Mississippi River in Sartell

Fisherman finds vehicle

What we know:

This past Sunday, authorities say a fisherman spotted "an anomaly" on his sonar while fishing in the Mississippi River near County Road 1 in Sartell.

The fisherman thought the anomaly may be a car, and contacted the authorities. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office Water Patrol responded and saw the same thing as the fisherman.

Water Patrol marked the spot and organized a dive team that went into the river on Wednesday. Around 10 a.m., divers say they found the car at the bottom of the river, full of sediment.

"I can't confirm that there's a body inside, or what the body may look like inside," said Lt. Zach Sorenson with the Stearns County Sheriff's Office. "But that's what we're operating under, that we have a vehicle submerged in the water and there's a potential for human or human remains to be present in there. " 

The car was then pulled out of the water on Wednesday evening. 

"It's gonna be one of those stories that never have a true ending, you know," said Joe Stellmach, a Sartell resident. "But at least this way, it would bring closure to that missing person." 

Local perspective:

Dive teams say the car appears to be from the 1960s era. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office said they have since been in contact with the Benton County Sheriff's Office who are investigating a potential connection to a 1967 missing persons case.

However, authorities say the car has not yet been pulled from the river and they can't yet confirm any link to the case.

Disappearance of Roy Benn

Dig deeper:

The case the sheriff's office is referencing appears to be the disappearance of Roy Benn in 1967.

Benn, 59, was last seen alive, driving his 1963 metallic blue Buick Electra, on Sept. 25, 1967. A Minnesota BCA bulletin says Benn was reported to have been carrying a large sum of money when he disappeared.

Neither Benn nor his car have been seen since that day.

A listing from the Charley Project, an organization dedicated to missing persons cases, states that Benn was a widower and a wealthy man known to carry a lot of cash on his person.