NEWTON, N.C. — A car found submerged in Lake Norman is connected to a missing persons case from 2008, investigators say.
The Catawba County Sheriff’s Office says, on Monday, a fisherman who was using a sonar device observed an image consistent with the shape of a vehicle. The fisherman notified authorities and a dive team member confirmed that the vehicle matched the description of a vehicle connected to a missing persons’ investigation.
On Wednesday, authorities worked with a salvage company to remove the white 1996 Ford Thunderbird from the Mountain Creek area of Lake Norman. Once the vehicle was raised from the water, investigators say they located human remains inside. They determined the car belonged to Tina Martin. Martin’s family reported her and her vehicle missing in February 2008. She was 43 at the time of her disappearance.
Officials have not said if the body found is Martin’s. The Sheriff’s Office says Martin’s family has been notified and the medical examiners office is waiting for a DNA analysis to be completed.
The circumstances surrounding Martin’s disappearance remain under investigation.
