COPS have found the remains of two men who vanished from an auction in a major breakthrough in a cold case that baffled investigators for five decades.
The remains of the two Illinois men have been found in a car pulled from a river after they went missing in 1976.
Winnebago County Sheriff’s OfficeThe remains of the two men were found in a car pulled from the river[/caption]
WIFRDivers pulled the 1966 Chevrolet Impala from the river back in March[/caption]
Freeport Journal PostClarence Owens went missing with his business partner in 1976[/caption]
Freeport Journal PostEverett Hawley disappeared from a farm auction he went to with his business partner[/caption]
The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the skeletal remains were found in a 1966 Chevrolet Impala in the Pecatonica River.
Clarence Owens, 65 and Everett Hawley, 75 were last seen at a farm auction near the Winnebago-Ogle County line on February 19, 1976, WIFR reports.
The car was pulled from the river back in March.
Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana said: “This brings us one step closer to providing closure to the families of Clarence Owens and Everett Hawley who have waited many years for answers that have been affected by this tragic case.
“This is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of our detectives and forensic experts. It’s a reminder that no case is ever truly closed no matter how much time has passed.”
Timeline of the 50-year-old cold case
February 19, 1976 Clarence Owens and Everett Hawley are last seen at a farm auction near the Winnebago-Ogle County line
February 20, 1976 Their families report them missing after they failed to attend a scheduled meeting at German Valley
March 11, 2024 Skeletal remains were found in 1966 Chevrolet Impala in the Pecatonica River
July 11, 2024 The coroner’s office links the bones to the men’s missing case
September 13, 2024 The human remains are confirmed to be those of the two men who went missing
The two men were business partners and were last seen between 2.40pm and 3pm at a farm auction near the Winnebago-Ogle County line.
They had attended a political rally for gubernatorial candidate James Thompson at the American Legion in Pecatonica, earlier that day before stopping at Rocky’s Cafe, and visiting Owen’s son, who lived nearby.
The two men were reported missing by their families the next day when they failed to attend a scheduled appointment in German Valley.
Nearly 50 years later divers were called to the river when a fisherman reported his sonar equipment detected a car.
The car was determined to be a gold 1966 Chevrolet Impala, matching a vehicle Owens and Hawley were last seen in.
The coroner’s office said the cause of death of the two men remains unknown but no foul play is suspected.