The body of a man missing for almost a decade has been found inside a sunken car that had been visible at the bottom of a pond for years on Google Maps.
David Lee Niles, 72, who was suffering with cancer at the time, disappeared on October 11 2006 after walking out of Jake’s Bar in Byron Township, Michigan, following a meeting with a pal.
Since that day, no trace of Mr Niles has ever been found – until this week, when Brian Houseman spotted the top of a car below the waters of a pond while he was decorating a Christmas tree outside Cook Funeral Home – less than half a mile from where he was last seen.
Police were called to the scene and the vehicle was pulled from the water. Inside they found the skeletal remains of Mr Niles.
In an interview with WOOD-TV, Mr Houseman said:
All of a sudden, it’s like, Whoa, there’s a car out there.
Unbelievably, the image of the car had been visible from an overhead satellite image on Google Maps for a number of years.
After he went missing, Mr Niles’ family continued to search for him, finally giving up in 2011.
His obituary read:
Davie Lee Niles, age 72, of Wyoming, passed away and only God knows the time and place.
As news of his discovery broke, Mr Niles’ family gathered around the site to pay their respects.
Son-in-law Scott Hathaway told WOOD-TV:
For us today, it’s a closure of a long search. Why God waited nine years, I have no idea, but we’re happy. It’s good to have him home.
