Investigators say a submerged Plymouth Neon and personal items point to Mary Lou Combs.
PALM COAST, Fla. — Human remains found inside a submerged vehicle in the Intracoastal Waterway are believed to be those of Mary Lou Combs, a mother of three who vanished in 2003, officials said, after a three-day recovery mission pulled up vehicle parts, clothing and children’s toys.
For Combs’ family, the find marks the first solid break after more than two decades of uncertainty. For investigators, it is a rare moment when a cold missing-person case returns a physical scene with evidence still inside. Authorities said laboratory testing is underway to confirm the identity, while examiners work to determine the cause of death.
Combs was 41 when relatives last saw her on Aug. 19, 2003, officials said. She left a Palm Coast home where she sometimes stayed with her mother and her three children. Days passed, and she did not show up for a child’s birthday party, a lapse family members said was unlike her. The concerns grew as weeks turned into months. By Oct. 9, 2003, relatives reported her missing after learning she had not picked up a paycheck from her former job at a Food Lion in Flagler Beach, officials said.
Detectives chased tips and searched likely areas, including aerial checks and water searches, but the case stalled without a confirmed location for Combs or her red 1996 Plymouth Neon coupe. In 2020, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office created a cold case unit to recheck unsolved files and keep pressure on long-dormant leads. The renewed push brought in volunteer divers in February 2024, working alongside deputies to focus on the missing car. In October 2025, divers found a bumper in the Intracoastal Waterway near the area of 18th Road that appeared consistent with the make, model and color of Combs’ vehicle.
Officials said the vehicle itself was submerged about 14 to 17 feet underwater, upside down and partly buried in muck, making a standard pullout risky. Because of the fragile condition and the need to preserve evidence, federal teams joined the recovery effort. The operation began Feb. 3, 2026, and continued for three days, with divers entering through a damaged driver-side window and using dredging equipment to suction items from the cabin into a collection basket on shore. Investigators said the items included a driver’s license bearing Combs’ name, a size 7 shoe consistent with her shoe size, children’s toys and additional vehicle parts, including a steering wheel marked with the model name.
Authorities said they also recovered human remains, including a bone with a metal plate that appears consistent with hardware from an ankle reconstruction Combs had after an injury. That detail, along with the location and the personal items, led detectives to say they were confident the remains belong to Combs, while stressing that DNA testing must confirm the identification. The remains were sent to the medical examiner, officials said, and the office will determine a cause and manner of death if possible.
Sheriff Rick Staly said investigators believe the evidence points to an accident rather than a crime. He said deputies think Combs accidentally drove into the Intracoastal Waterway near the end of 18th Road, and the vehicle later moved with the current. A broken window suggests she may have tried to get out, Staly said during a public briefing. He also addressed long-running talk in the community about rumors that Combs died elsewhere and was disposed of, saying investigators have not confirmed those claims and that current evidence indicates a tragic accident.
Family members who have lived with the disappearance for most of their adult lives spoke publicly as the case shifted from missing person to death investigation. Natasha Harper, Combs’ daughter, said her mother’s absence reshaped their lives and that the family never accepted the idea that she simply walked away. “As a little girl, my mother was my best friend and my everything,” Harper said during a press conference, adding that the years without answers were marked by grief and unanswered questions. She thanked the agencies and volunteers involved and said the recovery brought her family a measure of peace.
Investigators said the case remains open while forensic work is completed. Officials expect laboratory confirmation of identity and additional findings from the medical examiner in the weeks ahead, and the sheriff’s office said it will release updates as results become available.
Author note: Last updated February 25, 2026.