Rita Sue Zul: Missing Woman’s Body Found 25 Years Later At Bottom Of Florida Pond

A missing woman’s body was found at the bottom of a Florida pond 25 years after she went missing. Rita Sue Zul disappeared in 1990 and neither her body nor her car was ever found. Palm Beach Post reports that Zul was discovered inside a red sports car that was at the bottom of a pond located in southwest Florida.

The News-Press reports that a woman who went missing in Fort Myers a quarter of a century ago was found last week. She was last seen leaving a party one night at Marina 31 back in 1990.

Scott Dunlap a resident of Cape Coral, found the missing woman’s car when he was searching through the water for another missing woman. He noticed oil sheen, then put a magnet on a fishing pole and cast it. It took three times of casting the fishing line out to get the magnet to attach to the object. Eventually, it latched itself onto something before a friend of Dunlap’s swam down to confirm it was a car — the 1975 Datsun Rita Sue Zul was driving that night 25 years ago.

The vehicle and Zul’s remains were recovered by investigators after it had been submerged in 20 feet of water the last several years.

Dunlap was actually looking for a woman who went missing last Friday, Fort Myers Shores resident Chelsey Green. She ended up being found in the Caloosahatchee River on Monday by the State Road 31 bridge.

Zul was 36-years-old when she went missing and would have been 61 today. The lounge where she worked at — and was last seen at a party — has since been closed down.

According to the report, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office says that the red 1975 Datsun belonged to Zul’s boyfriend.

Dunlap hopes that finding the car and answers to Rita Sue Zul’s disappearance helps her family gain some type of closure. He intends to place a wreath in Zul’s honor at the location where she was found.

Dunlap adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if there are other cars at the bottom of the pond. In this case of the missing woman’s body found after 25 years, it’s evident a vehicle can get submerged in the water and go undetected for decades.

An organization called Team Closure is what Dunlap plans to form in an effort to search for missing people who might be at the bottom of Southwest Florida’s waterways. His friends and brothers will be on the team to assist in locating cars and bodies that have been lost over time.

[Photo Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Office via The News-Press]