Scuba-Diving YouTuber Finds Car Linked to Teens Missing Since 2000

 On the evening of April 3, 2000, Jeremy Bechtel, a seventeen-year-old, contacted his father from a gathering, informing him that he intended to spend the night there. The following morning, he requested his father's assistance in returning home. However, upon his father's arrival, Jeremy was nowhere to be seen, nor was his companion, Erin.

According to acquaintances, Jeremy and Erin had departed together in Erin's vehicle the previous night and had not returned. Speculations regarding their disappearance circulated for years. Some speculated that they had fled to Florida, while others suggested involvement in a dubious drug transaction. There were even claims of witnessing them in the rear of a truck with blood visible. Despite exhaustive investigations by law enforcement, no substantial leads emerged to aid in resolving the case.

More than two decades later, a scuba-diving enthusiast and YouTuber, known for his involvement in missing persons cases as an amateur investigator, took it upon himself to delve into the matter. Within a remarkably short span, he located the submerged car belonging to the teenagers in a local river, thereby putting an end to the unsettling enigma.

Documenting the discovery in a comprehensive YouTube video spanning twenty minutes, the individual, referred to as Mr. Sides, captured the momentous occasion, including his communication with Steve Page, the sheriff of White County, to report his findings. The sheriff, upon meeting Mr. Sides at the scene, expressed profound gratitude, deeming him a hero of White County.

During a brief telephone exchange, Sheriff Page disclosed that divers had recovered human remains, although they had yet to be definitively identified. He expressed confidence in the likelihood of the remains belonging to Jeremy and Erin, citing articles retrieved from the submerged vehicle as corroborative evidence.

Jeremy Bechtel's father, Ron Bechtel, acknowledged that while the investigation remained ongoing, authorities now theorized that Jeremy and Erin, aged 17 and 18 respectively, had perished in a vehicular accident. Reflecting on the development, Mr. Bechtel lamented, "It felt akin to losing him anew," emphasizing the lingering hope that his son might still be alive.

Describing his son as a courteous teenager with an affinity for rap music and possessing a compassionate nature, Mr. Bechtel recounted the loss of Jeremy's mother to cancer three years prior. Following the discovery of the car, friends of both families initiated online fundraisers to assist with funeral expenses.

A dedicated Facebook page aimed at locating the teenagers showcased images of the riverbank near the vehicle's discovery site, adorned with a freshly laid bouquet of flowers and a commemorative plaque bearing the inscription "E & J Gone Home."

Mr. Sides highlighted the increasing number of divers participating in investigations of cold cases, noting a recent surge in breakthroughs. Among these successes was the recovery of a car linked to a woman missing since 2005, as well as the retrieval of a vehicle belonging to a couple from Ohio who had been missing for three and a half years.

Assisting in various searches, Mr. Sides's investigative efforts typically commence with perusing the Charley Project, an online repository of missing persons cases. He meticulously sifts through case summaries, focusing on instances where individuals were last seen in vehicles near bodies of water. Additionally, he scours online memorials for potential leads and contacts.

Reflecting on the discovery of Erin's car, Mr. Sides acknowledged experiencing a spectrum of emotions, ranging from sorrow and overwhelm to eventual elation at the prospect of providing closure to numerous affected parties.