Authorities in Sartell recovered a vehicle from the Mississippi River last week that they believe belonged to a man missing since 1967.
The Stearns-Benton County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, with help from Collins Brothers Towing, pulled the car from the water near the 300 block of Riverside Avenue North around 6:30 p.m. on August 13.
Riverside Avenue North was closed for several hours during the recovery.
The vehicle, identified as a 1960s-era Buick, was removed largely intact and taken to the Sartell Police Department. Investigators from the Stearns and Benton County Sheriff’s Offices, the Sartell Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension processed the car. Inside, they found human remains. Using the vehicle’s VIN, authorities confirmed it matched a car registered to Roy Benn, who disappeared in September 1967. Benn’s case remains an open missing person investigation with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.
The remains were taken to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination and possible confirmation of identity. Officials say the remains, personal items found in the car, and the vehicle identification together lead them to believe the discovery is connected to Benn’s decades-old disappearance. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office will now lead the investigation.
The operation involved the Stearns-Benton County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Sartell Police and Fire Departments, Sartell Public Works Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Collins Brothers Towing.
