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A fisherman and his dog may have helped Alabama police officers solve a four-year-old mystery. The man was fishing when he thought he saw a submerged SUV. It had the body of a woman that’s been missing since 2021 inside. 

Alabama cops find the body of a missing woman in a submerged SUV 

Wes Clements was out at Brooks Park Marina, fishing with his dog when he made a discovery that could help solve a four-year-old case. 

According to Fox 10 TV, Clements was fishing from his boat on Chickasaw Creek and testing out his new Garmin live scope. 

He said that “me and my dog were just fishing around and happened to pan over on the pilings and see something that looks like a car.”

Clements regularly fished under one particular bridge and saw a hump under the water with the use of a 2D sonar and side-scan. He thought it was part of the bridge, but the live scope system showed images of an SUV.

He immediately called local authorities. Police officers had a tow truck pull the vehicle out and they found a deceased body trapped inside. 

An investigator at the scene of a muder
Crime scene | iStock

Removing the SUV was challenging as it was clearly submerged for a long time. Its condition and strength began to deteriorate, so the officers had to be careful to preserve its entirety. 

Southbound lanes on Highway 34 were closed while officials worked to get the SUV on the bridge. Then they discovered that the VIN number and license plate were linked to Chevrolet Trailblazer. It belongs to a woman who has been missing since 2021. 

They will confirm the identity of the deceased person, believed to be Helen Ward. Investigators are working to determine how the SUV ended up in the water. Police officers don’t believe foul play was involved. 

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Staff Writer

Allison Barfield

Allison Barfield joined MotorBiscuit in 2020 and covers all things trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. Having grown up on a farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s no stranger to the “Best in Class” truck and SUV debates; people in her hometown were always gathering to help work on vehicles together, and deliberation would naturally arise.

Allison graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts. She has helped bring awareness to issues Women In Trucking face and has promoted Truckers Against Trafficking, an anti-trafficking NGO.

A fan of creatively dark literature, Allison appreciates the works of Shirley Jackson and Emily Dickenson. She lives in a mountainous area of the country and enjoys off-roading and camping. Her dog, Bruce, often joins her in testing trucks and SUVs for our site.