Authorities in Utah have issued a tragic update in a 21-year-old missing person case.
The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a statement (via People) that remains found in a submerged vehicle have been positively identified as Steven Willard Anderson. Anderson was reported missing in 2004 when he failed to arrive at his family’s cabin in nearby Flaming Gorge as expected. In October, the sheriff’s office confirmed that a car recovered from 50 feet of water in the Starvation Reservoir the previous month was “confirmed to be connected to Steven’s case.”
Human remains found inside the vehicle were turned over to the medical examiner’s office, who determined that they were Anderson’s. The office said that no foul play is suspected in the death. Anderson’s son, Axel, told Fox 13 that he was relieved to finally have “some closure” in the heartbreaking ordeal. “The search is over, the questions are answered, and we can start a new chapter," Axel said. “He was an incredible person and that’s why we spent 20 years looking for him.”
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Doug Bishop of United Search Corps and Dave Sparks of Sparks Motors, which has been featured in the reality TV show Diesel Brothers, began assisting in the case in 2022. It was Bishop who located Anderson’s car and Sparks who helped pull it from the water back in September. “To Steven’s family: Our hearts go out to you during this difficult time,” United Search Corps said in an October statement following the car’s discovery. “While nothing can undo the pain of losing a loved one, we hope that the answers found will bring some measure of peace.”
Local authorities have declared the case officially closed. “The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office extends its condolences to Anderson’s family and thanks all agencies involved in the recovery process for their dedication and professionalism,” officials declared.
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