Fisherman Accidentally Cracks 58-Year-Old Cold Case With Sonar Discovery

What started as a quiet fishing trip in central Minnesota has turned into a stunning breakthrough in a case that haunted investigators for nearly six decades.

A fisherman in Sartell, Minnesota, stumbled upon a submerged car linked to the 1967 disappearance of Roy Benn — a man who vanished under mysterious circumstances after leaving a supper club with a large sum of cash.

A Fish, A Sonar, and a Shocking Discovery

Brody Loch was out on the lake with a friend last weekend when he deployed his sonar device. He expected to track fish, but instead spotted something strange beneath the water’s surface.

“When he caught the fish, I turned the transducer around and boom — there it was just sitting on the bottom,” Loch told CBS News.

The object lay about 20 feet underwater. At first, Loch wasn’t sure what he was looking at. He returned the next day with family members, confirming the sonar reading before alerting authorities.

A Car Frozen in Time

Police divers later pulled up a 1960s Buick, caked in mud and algae. Investigators believe the vehicle’s VIN matches Benn’s missing car. Even more chilling — human remains were found inside.

“We believe the remains are consistent with Mr. Benn, but confirmation will come from forensic testing,” Sartell Police Chief Brandon Silgjord said. “Tons of credit for a fisherman to actually see that and then have the forethought to call the sheriff’s office and make that report.”

The Disappearance That Shocked Sartell

In November 1967, Benn, then in his 30s, was last seen leaving King’s Supper Club. Reports at the time claimed he had been carrying a large amount of money, sparking endless rumors of robbery, foul play, or a planned disappearance.

Despite exhaustive searches, no trace of Benn or his car was ever found — until now. His case has lingered in Minnesota’s cold case files for more than half a century, occasionally resurfacing in local news as one of the state’s great unsolved mysteries.

Closure at Last?

For longtime Sartell residents, the discovery feels surreal. “We all grew up hearing about Roy Benn,” said Mary Jensen, a local who remembers the story from her childhood. “To think he’s been sitting there all this time, just 20 feet under the water… it’s heartbreaking.”

Authorities say the discovery could finally bring closure to a family that has waited 58 years for answers. “This is the kind of case that never leaves you,” a retired St. Cloud detective told reporters. “You always hope one day the truth surfaces — and this time, it literally did.”