Rebecca Shepherd
New evidence has been discovered after a woman went missing back in 2017 with divers pulling a vehicle which was identical to hers from a river in Texas.
The YouTube diving group, Adventures with Purpose, found a Kia Rio with a distinctive missing piece of its bumper at the bottom of the Brazos River. It is believed to have belonged to Stephanie Torres.
Following the discovery, it was revealed that a bone fragment had been found which might give Ms Torres' family some answers after five years.
The 43-year-old, who suffered with fibromyalgia, was last seen on 20 December 2017 after she unsuccessfully attempted to take her own life.
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Reports suggest that her family tried to block the driveway to stop her driving off and she apparently appeared to be intoxicated when she left and went without her medication, mobile phone or wallet.
After finding the Kia car, police confirmed that it was the one belonging to her but the remains inside are yet to be identified as hers.
Adventures with Purpose conducted the search after connecting with the family on social media in 2021. The group, which was set up by scuba diver Jared Leisek, was originally supposed to be dealing with environmental clean ups but moved over to searching for missing people.
On 20 January, the Adventures with Purpose Facebook page posted to say that the car had been located.
They wrote: "Working from clues as to the events prior Stephanie last being seen on December 21st, both dive teams began scanning the Brazos River on the West side of Brazos Park East Boat Ramp.
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"In less than an hour, our teams identified 3 targets 13 feet underwater at the East Boat Ramp."
They went on to add: "The vehicle was upside down, 55' from shore, 13' underwater.
"The local Waco Police and Fire Department arrived on the scene and prior to 5pm, through the efforts of all organizations working together, the vehicle in question was removed, confirming human remains inside.
"A full autopsy will need to be conducted before confirmation can be made that Stephanie has been brought home."
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They concluded the post, by saying: "It is our honor to have brought Stephanie Torres home. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bianca and her family during this difficult time."