YouTubers managed to crack the cold case of a missing woman after following clues
YouTubers managed to crack the cold case of a missing woman after following clues
While you usually expect the professionals to do it, a bunch of YouTubers once solved a US cold case after finding the car of a missing woman submerged in a Florida pond.
The team, from the popular 'Adventures with Purpose' channel, managed to solve the case after discovering Margaret 'Jan' Shupe Smith's Kia Soul car in 2022.
Police were unable to get any closer to finding the vehicle and Smith's family reached out to the channel who support families and help to provide answers after Jan went missing in 2021.
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She was last seen on 2 April, 2021, in Lakeland, Florida, and the team were keen to help despite being on a 45-day trip through several southern states.
The search began on 1 February, 2022, with the team searched a different pond with no success. They then moved on to the Southgate Publix Shopping Complex where Jan was last seen shopping on CCTV.
Taking to Facebook, Adventures with Purpose spoke about the case and explained how police shared 'new clues' about how Jan was involved in an accident on 2 April, approximately 30 minutes after leaving the Southgate Publix.
Working from the location of the accident, they then found a new subdivision to the North with 'newly dug retention ponds'.
They went on to say: "A vehicle as located in 6 1/2 feet of water, 50' from shore.
"No dive gear was required for Josh Cantu to put on a mask, and freedive the vehicle confirming a 2012 Moss Green Kia Soul."
After finding Jan's vehicle, the Adventures with Purpose team wrote: "Over the next several hours, additional Polk County Sheriff Dive Deputies, Investigators, Forensics, etc. arrived on the scene, and approximately 1:10 PM, through the efforts of all organizations working together, the vehicle in question was removed, confirming human remains inside."
They concluded their post by passing over their condolences to Jan's family, writing: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jan's family during this difficult time."
Speaking to FOX35 after the car was found, Jan's daughter, Marley Shupe, said: "I know that she was alone and that really hurts. I just wonder what she was thinking or what was going through her head."
Jan's sister, Vera Shupe, added: "She was a fighter, but she was sweet. She had a good heart.
"Every day since April 2, you think 'where else can I look?' And it's on your mind every day but now that's over. There's no such thing as closure but for what it is, we'll have some closure."
Rebecca Shepherd