YouTuber Jeremy Beau Sides finds submerged car of teens who went missing 20 years ago
YouTuber Jeremy Beau Sides is known for using his suba-diving skills to recover lost or stolen property in water bodies. This time he found two teenagers’ car, which was reported missing with both the teens on April 3, 2000, in the Calf Killer River in Sparta, Tennessee. Sides owns a YouTube channel where he documents his discoveries.
Sides recently focused his efforts on the cases of Erin Foster, 18, and Jeremy Bechtel, 17, who went missing on April 3, 2000, according to NBC News, citing the White County Sheriff's Office. According to the outlet, the teens disappeared after leaving Foster's house, and their whereabouts have remained a mystery ever since.
Sides posted a video on his YouTube channel about his findings recently. He and his team used side-scan sonar to search the river and eventually came across the car. To remove the object from the water, scuba divers were called in. The team found the human remains in the car on December 4. Foster and Bechtel went missing around 20 years ago, and the car found in the river matches the license plate, proving it is Erin’s car.
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"I’m lost for words," Sides said. "I’m so glad I could find them. I’m so sad that that’s where they ended up. I can’t believe it’s been over 20 years that they’ve been sitting there waiting for someone to find them."
As forensic investigators gather evidence from the Pontiac, they've notified the families of the two teenagers. The remains have been sent to the lab for genetic DNA testing. "It was like losing him all over again," Ron Bechtel, Jeremy's father, told the New York Times.
"I'm going to bury my son," said Jeremy’s father. "I've prayed that if he's not here, he's with Jesus and Mama, and I'm sure they've all seen him by now and know what's happened." Cecil Foster, Erin's father, described the situation as "almost a dream," adding that he and his son had gone fishing on the river many times over the years.
Sheriff Steve Page told NBC News that he's "not sure yet that we have the correct teenagers, but we believe we do," noting that the remains are still being identified by medical examiners. "It feels great to be able to provide closure to these families," he concluded.