Foss Lake could hold clues to several cold cases in Elk City, Oklahoma. Authorities recovered two vehicles from the lake on Tuesday. Each car contained the remains of several people.
The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro fits the description of a vehicle owned by 16-year-old Jimmy Allen Williams. On November 20, 1970, Williams took 18-year-old Leah Johnson and 18-year-old Thomas Rios for a ride. The three teens were never seen again.
Authorities never recovered the vehicle or any evidence in the disappearance. As reported by Doe Network , the case eventually went cold .
The 1957 Chevrolet matches the description of a vehicle in another cold case. A couple vanished in the early 1960s while on a trip to Foss Lake with a friend. The vehicle, and the occupants were never seen again.
As there was little evidence, the disappearance remained unsolved.
The vehicles were discovered during a training exercise. The Oklahoma State Patrol was learning how to use sonar equipment when they noticed two vehicles.
As reported by News 9 , the vehicles were both heavily damaged from spending nearly a half a century in the lake. Authorities are currently investigating whether foul play was involved in either case.
The victims identities will be determined through DNA testing. Samples from living relatives will be compared with samples from the skeletal remains. Unfortunately, the process could take weeks.
Kim Carmichael was a friend of Jimmy Allen Williams. She has vivid memories of the disappearance . Carmichael’s father was undersheriff at the time. She says the case haunted him for years:
“He said there was nothing… There were no leads, no nothing… it was just like they vanished into thin air.”
Carmichael says the case haunted a lot of people in the small community.
The Foss Lake mystery will take weeks to investigate. Authorities are currently trying to positively identify the vehicles and the victims.
[Image via Wikimedia ]
