A Chevrolet Camaro from 1975 has been unearthed in Jack’s Creek in Washington, North Carolina, shedding light on a perplexing case from over 40 years ago.
William Clifton, 30, David McMicken, 24, and Michael Norman, 32, disappeared in December 1982, after a night out in Chocowinity, North Carolina. They were last seen in a car resembling the recently discovered Camaro.
The car’s discovery was facilitated by advanced sonar technology, utilized by Jason Souhrada, a resident of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Souhrada took a personal interest in the cold case and dedicated his efforts to locating the missing men, hoping to provide some comfort to their families.
Souhrada used a sonar-equipped boogie board to explore parts of the creek that were otherwise unreachable. He found what appeared to be a submerged vehicle, prompting various law enforcement agencies – including the Washington Police, Sidney Dive Team, Highway Patrol, and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office – to focus their efforts on the creek section at the intersection of N. Harvey and E. 5th Streets.
The vehicle was found 12 to 15 feet underwater and in a state of considerable decay, implying it had been submerged since the men’s disappearance.
A challenging recovery operation began on Friday, February 9, 2024, with a dive team and wrecker service present. The car was located by mid-morning, but extracting it from the water required nearly two full days of work.
Successful verification of the car’s VIN formally connected the vehicle to the unresolved case. The discovery of human remains was confirmed by a forensic anthropologist, marking a crucial breakthrough in the search for the missing men.
DNA testing on the remains is currently underway to establish their identities. The North Carolina Office of the State Medical Examiner has affirmed their human origin. Police Chief Phil L. Rollinson of Washington, North Carolina, has expressed confidence that the remains are those of Clifton, McMicken, and Norman, based on the vehicle’s identification and forensic evidence.
The discovery has stirred emotions among the families involved, offering a mixed sense of closure. Lea Rose, daughter of Bill Clifton, and her mother, Wilda Carver, were found reminiscing over family photos at their home.
Rose remembers the night her father went missing. “My family had gone out to see Santa Claus and view the Christmas lights. After we came home, my dad left to spend time with his friends, but sadly, he never came back,” she recounted.
David McMicken’s daughter, Kayla Melendres, reflected, “Being at the site of the recovered car brought on a wave of emotions, that’s when the reality truly hit me.”
The resolution of the case has involved the collaboration of 26 local and state agencies in the recovery process. This community effort demonstrates a continuing quest for closure and justice in unresolved missing persons cases.
The investigation is ongoing, with DNA results expected to confirm the identities of the remains. The families of Clifton, McMicken, and Norman eagerly await the final piece of the puzzle.
