Human remains found in submerged car believed to belong to Florida mother who vanished 22 years ago

More than two decades after a Florida mother mysteriously vanished without a trace, divers have recovered human remains and her submerged car from a waterway.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced that divers recovered parts of a red 1996 Plymouth Neon, clothing, children’s toys, a Florida driver’s license and human remains believed to be those of Mary Lou Combs, a Palm Coast woman.

Combs was last seen on Aug. 19, 2003, leaving a home she shared "periodically" with her mother and three children, the sheriff’s office said. The 41-year-old never returned.

Her family became concerned when she never showed up to her daughter’s birthday party days later. While Combs had a history of disappearing, according to her family, not showing up to her children’s events was completely out of character.

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Combs also never picked up her final paycheck from her job at a local Food Lion.

For years, investigators chased tips and searched multiple locations, but no evidence surfaced.

That changed in October 2025, when a voluntary dive team located what appeared to be a bumper matching Combs’ missing vehicle in the Intracoastal Waterway near Palm Coast.

The vehicle was later found upside down, buried in 14 to 17 feet of water and muck.

A multi-day recovery operation involving the FBI’s Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team and other agencies began Feb. 3.

Divers entered the submerged vehicle and used dredging equipment to recover its contents. Among the items pulled from the water were a steering wheel labeled "Neon," a manual window crank, a floor mat, a size 7 shoe consistent with Combs’ size, and children’s items, including toys and a child seat.

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Investigators also recovered a bone containing a metal plate believed to match an ankle reconstruction surgery Combs had undergone before she disappeared. Authorities are working to confirm whether the serial numbers match her medical records.

Sheriff Rick Staly said he hopes that the tireless work of detectives can give Combs’ family the answers they need so they can "finally lay their loved one to rest."

"All the evidence gathered thus far suggests that the remains we have recovered are those of Mary Lou Combs," Staly said. "While this is not the outcome anyone hoped for, we knew locating Mary alive was extremely unlikely given the length of time she had been missing."

While rumors circulated for years that Combs may have died at a party and been disposed of, investigators say current evidence suggests she may have accidentally driven into the Intracoastal Waterway and drowned.

The remains are now with the medical examiner. DNA testing is underway to confirm identity and determine the cause of death.