Human remains found in 1960s-era car pulled from Mississippi River in Sartell

Authorities in central Minnesota say human remains were recovered from a vehicle pulled from the Mississippi River late Wednesday — and they say it may be connected to a missing person case from 1967.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office said a fisherman reported finding an anomaly in the river — possibly a car — on sonar last weekend in Sartell.

Officials verified the anomaly and organized a dive team search that took place on Wednesday. Divers confirmed it was a vehicle — and Sartell police reported the 1960s-era Buick sedan was removed from the river Wednesday night.

“The vehicle, intact but severely deteriorated, had been underwater for decades and was filled with river sediment,” Sartell police reported in a news release early Thursday.

Human remains were found inside and they will be sent to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the identity and cause of death.

While the ID of the remains is not yet confirmed, Sartell police said the vehicle is “believed to be connected to an unsolved 1967 case.”

According to records from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, 59-year-old Roy George Benn went missing in September 1967. He was last seen in Sauk Rapids — not far from Sartell. And he was last seen driving a 1963 four-door Buick Electra — the same make and era of the car pulled from the river on Wednesday.

Sartell police said local, county and state agencies are involved in the investigation.