The remains of a man missing since 1972 have been discovered in a vehicle pulled from the depths of a North Carolina lake. Although authorities have not positively identified the human remains as of the time of this report, investigators believe they belong to a man who was reported missing back on February 19, 1972, over 43 years ago. The remains will be transferred to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy and identification…. He said there were no signs of foul play so far.

The missing person’s identity hasn’t been released.

Caldwell County deputies said Wednesday that they believe the remains of Amos Shook were found in Lake Rhodhiss.

“We found a wallet and some ID cards were in it. It amazed us how preserved that stuff was”, said Caldwell County Sheriff Alan Jones.

Shook, who was 44 when he disappeared, had retired from the U.S. Air Force and lived in the town of Sawmills, according to Barlowe, who said his surviving family members live throughout Tennessee.

“I’m swimming towards the bottom and I never saw a vehicle or anything”, Yoder said. The area around what is now a boat launch looks very different from what it looked like in 1972. Several law enforcement agencies conducted the recovery operation and a fire and rescue dive team helped retrieve the auto from the lake.

The 1968 Pontiac Catalina, its windows rolled up and still intact, was plucked from 30 feet of water.

The sheriff resumed the previously fruitless hunt after Shook’s daughter approached the agency with a newspaper article about her father’s disappearance, The Charlotte Observer reported. The roof had caved in.

The investigators searched Lake Rhodhiss without any specific tip. Fore said he didn’t know why the search focused on the lake. The auto, a 1968 Pontiac Catalina, matched the description of the missing man’s vehicle. However, authorities do not suspect foul play.

A North Carolina detective’s hunch may have brought closure to a mystery that has haunted a family for almost half a century.