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A 40-year-old missing persons case may have been solved after investigators pulled a mud-filled car out of a Caldwell County lake Tuesday.
They believe the car belonged to Amos Shook, a retired Air Force member, who disappeared in 1972, when he was in his 40s.
For more than 43 years, Shook's family had no idea where he was or what happened to him. After more than four decades, they finally have some answers.
"It put some closure on something they've been looking forward to for a long time," said Caldwell County Sheriff Alan Jones.
Shook's daughter, who lives out of state, reached out to Caldwell County investigators last month and asked them to take another look at the cold case.
The investigators searched Lake Rhodhiss without any specific tip. They used sonar technology and found Shook's 1968 Pontiac Catalina 30 feet underwater, with what are believed to be his remains inside. Investigators don't believe it was suicide and don't suspect foul play.
"There's nothing that indicates that," Jones said.
Inside the car that is rusted, muddy and still wet, was Shook's wallet.
Many questions remain, including how the car got there.
"Finding somebody that's still alive that could answer those (questions) will be tough," Jones said.
The remains are now at the medical examiner's office for an autopsy. Pending those results, Jones said the case will be considered closed.
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