A 1975 Chevrolet Camaro has been discovered in Jack’s Creek in Washington, North Carolina, offering potential closure to a mysterious case dating back over four decades.
In December 1982, William Clifton, aged 30, David McMicken, 24, and Michael Norman, 32, vanished after a night out in Chocowinity, North Carolina. The three men were last seen in a vehicle matching the description of the Camaro found.
The discovery of the Camaro was made possible through the use of advanced sonar equipment by Jason Souhrada, a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina resident who took an interest in the case and dedicated his efforts to finding the three missing men. Souhrada aimed to deliver solace to the relatives of the men who disappeared.
Utilizing a sonar-equipped boogie board to navigate areas of the creek that were otherwise inaccessible, Souhrada detected what seemed to be a submerged vehicle. This led local law enforcement agencies, including the Washington Police, Sidney Dive Team, Highway Patrol, and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, to concentrate their efforts on the creek segment at the intersection of N. Harvey and E. 5th Streets.
The vehicle was located 12 to 15 feet underwater and in poor condition, suggesting it had been submerged since the men’s disappearance.
A complex recovery operation, which included partially draining the creek, started on Friday, February 9, 2024, with a dive team and wrecker service on site. Divers located the car by mid-morning, but it took nearly two full days of work before it was pulled from the water.
The successful identification of the car’s VIN officially linked the vehicle to the long-standing cold case. A forensic anthropologist confirmed the recovery of human remains, marking a significant development in the search for the missing men.
Authorities are currently conducting DNA testing on the remains to confirm their identities, with the North Carolina Office of the State Medical Examiner affirming their human origin. Police Chief Phil L. Rollinson of Washington expressed confidence that the remains belonged to Clifton, McMicken, and Norman, based on the vehicle’s identification and forensic evidence.
The discovery has reignited emotions among the families involved, offering a bittersweet sense of closure. At their residence, Bill Clifton’s daughter, Lea Rose, and her mother, Wilda Carver, were looking through family photographs, reminiscing about the times spent with Clifton.
Rose recalls the evening her father disappeared vividly. “The night he went missing, my family had gone out to see Santa Claus and view the Christmas lights. After returning home, my dad left to hang out with his friends, but unfortunately, he never returned,” she shared.
Kayla Melendres, David McMicken’s daughter, added, “Being on-site of the recovered car just brought on a wave of emotions, and that’s when it really hit me.”
The case resolution has been a collaborative effort, with 26 local and state agencies assisting in the recovery. The community’s commitment to finding answers showcases a persistent desire for closure and justice in missing persons cases.
As the investigation continues, and with DNA results forthcoming to confirm the identities of the remains, the families of Clifton, McMicken, and Norman anxiously await the final piece of the puzzle.
