Youtuber’s Investigation Leads to Car, Possible Human Remains of Missing Marine

A YouTuber investigating the mysterious disappearance of a former Marine may have cracked the case after discovering remains in a pond which authorities believe are those of the missing man. Donnie Erwin vanished after leaving his house for cigarettes on December 29, 2013. He was last seen driving a silver 2002 Hyundai Elantra.

CBS News reported that on December 16, investigators pulled a car matching that description from a private pond in the same county where Erwin was last seen. The discovery was prompted by YouTuber James Hinkle, who runs the channel Echo Divers. After realizing he lived just 90 minutes from where Erwin lived, he took an interest in the case and began independently pursuing leads. As the father of a Marine, Hinkle also felt a duty to Erwin as a serviceman.

“Those guys are all heroes, they deserve the best treatment they can,” Hinkle told Daily Mail. “Military people are always heroes and those guys need to be brought home. Donnie served us, I wanted to serve him.”

While piloting a drone over the pond on December 14, Hinkle noticed what appeared to be a vehicle submerged beneath the surface. He was permitted by the property’s current owners to search the water, footage of which he posted to YouTube.

Hinkle contacted authorities on December 16, who arrived and extracted the car later that day. They subsequently brought in cadaver dogs to investigate the surrounding area, though no human remains were immediately recovered. On Christmas Eve, however, detectives returned to the scene with the divers and discovered remains, along with an artificial hip, that were consistent with Erwin’s.

“While a forensic pathologist will have to examine the remains to determine for certain if they are indeed those of Mr. Erwin, investigators are confident the hip and remains belong to him,’ the sheriff’s office said in a statement (via USA Today).

Erwin, who lived with his wife in central Missouri, had lost his left leg above the knee and was largely dependent on a wheelchair. His family hasn’t stopped searching for him for the last 10 years. Hinkle told Daily Mail that although the discovery of Erwin’s apparent remains hasn’t been easy for them, the family is relieved to begin properly grieving his loss.

“I’m happy for the family, [but also] sad that they’re now going to go through the actual grieving process,” he said. “They are grieving but happy to know they finally have answers. You can’t put into words what that means and what that feels like.”