Tragic missing person case solved in just six hours 40 years after woman disappeared

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.

On 1 May 1985, a Florida woman left her home for the last time and went missing for almost 40 years.

Maureen Sherman had said that she planned on ending her life by driving her car into a nearby canal, and she was never seen again.

She was 47-year-old at the time of her disappearance, and it wasn't until this year that the mother-of-four's remains were finally found along with her car which allowed authorities to close the book on this cold case.

Earlier this year, diving team Sunshine State Sonar stepped in to launch a new search effort that Maureen was finally found.

On 5 January 2024, the divers used their sonar technology to conduct a new search on the canal near the 47-year-old Florida woman's house.

Maureen Sherman went missing in 1985 and her case wouldn't be solved until almost 40 years later. (Miami-Dade Police Department)

In a six-hour search effort, they were able to locate the missing woman's red Plymouth Reliant K station wagon '32ft deep entangled in branches and vegetation' at the bottom of the body of water.

The divers theorised that she had driven to the end of her road, through a fence and directly into the canal that was located so close to her home.

People diving down to the submerged car were able to recover the vehicle's numberplate and found that it appeared to be a match to Maureen's car.

The divers cheered as they said they had 'plate confirmation' and had managed to locate the woman's remains.

They also managed to confirm that the car's windows were still up, which led them to believe that Maureen's body would still be inside.

Thanks to the new search the missing persons case could finally be closed. (YouTube/Adventures With Purpose)

Now knowing where it was, the Miami Dade Police Dive Team were then able to haul the car out of the water and human remains were found within the vehicle.

In a post on Facebook, the divers said that working together with the Adventures With Purpose group and the Miami-Dade Police Department had been key to solving the cold case.

They said: "Maureen Therese Sherman has been brought home to her family.

"Shout out to our incredible team members that have been working tirelessly on this mission.

"We were able to bring five people home in just the last six days. We are extremely proud of everyone in the field and behind-the-scenes."

LADbible has reached out to Miami-Dade Police Department for comment.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.