Sandra Lemire and the car found in Florida.Photo:Orlando Police Department Facebook; Sunshine State Sonar
Orlando Police Department Facebook; Sunshine State Sonar
A volunteer dive group says that it found the remains of an Orlando, Florida, woman — who had been missing for over a decade — in a pond near Walt Disney World.
In a post shared on Facebook Sunday,Sunshine State Sonarsaid that it located a vehicle belonging to Sandra Lemire that was submerged in a pond “on the side of I-4 near the Disney World exit in Kissimmee, Florida.” The group added that the victim’s remains and belongings were recovered as well.
According to theOrlando Police Department, Sandra, 47, had been missing since May 2012.
At the time, authorities said she was en route to Kissimmee to meet a man she met through an online dating service, and even though she contacted her grandmother to say that she arrived in the city, police said that Sandra didn’t call her grandmother back to let her know when she would return home.
The Orlando Police Department added that Sandra was last seen leaving a Kissimmee restaurant and driving her grandmother’s 2004 red Ford Freestyle before her disappearance.
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According to Sunshine State Sonar’s Facebook post, Orlando Police detectives recently shared additional information that led to their new search this past weekend.
“With the new information, one of our incredible team members, in Virginia, started mapping new locations, which included a variety of highway locations,” the organization wrote.
The vehicle is removed from a lake in Florida.Sunshine State Sonar
Sunshine State Sonar
“At approximately 1:30 PM on December 30, 2023, we got a hit on sonar in a small retention pond at the Disney World exit on I4,” Sunshine State Sonar added. “We located what appeared to be a minivan submerged in 14 feet of water. Our team quickly suited up and dove on the vehicle to make the license plate confirmation.”
The group then thanked various law enforcement agencies, including the Orlando Police Department, for their assistance in the recovery.
In an emailed statement to PEOPLE Monday, the Orlando Police Department said, “Unidentified remains were located and have yet to be identified.”
Investigators at the scene of Sandra Lemire’s possible discovery.Sunshine State Sonar
“FHP [Florida Highway Patrol] is handling the traffic crash investigation. Osceola Sheriff’s Deputies and the Orange County Sheriff’s Dive team assisted in the response. This is an active investigation. Once we have more information to provide, we will share it with our media partners,” authorities added.
Timothy Lemire,who said in a post on Facebookthat he is the son of Sandra, praised the Sunshine State Sonar’s involvement in the case,writing, “These guys brought this long mysterious case to a end… Im truly grateful for these guys! They put so much time and effort in this case.. we been talking for months now trying to figure out where to search.. and they finally found her Van.”
Sandra Lemire.Sandra Lemire Facebook
Sandra Lemire Facebook
Timothy did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Sunshine State Sonar expressed its condolences to Sandra’s family, concluding its Facebook post: “Our hearts go out to her family who supported us along the way we are saddened at the circumstances, but glad we could assist in bringing her home. Rest in peace Sandra, you are finally home.”
source: people.com
