Authorities discovered a car and possible human remains that belonged to a college student who has been missing for over 45 years. Kyle Clinkscales was driving from his home in LaGrange, Georgia, back to Auburn University on January 27, 1976.

Despite a massive search effort, which included draining nearby lakes, investigators found no trace of Clinkscales or his white 1974 Ford Pinto.

"For 45 years, we have searched for Kyle and his car. We have followed hundreds of leads and never really had anything substantial develop from those leads," Troup County Sheriff James Woodruff said during a press conference.

Officials received a break in the case on Tuesday (December 7) when a motorist called 911 to report a submerged car in a creek off of County Road 83 about halfway between LaGrange and Auburn University. The vehicle was found about three miles from the route Clinkscales usually took to get back to campus.

After the rusted car was pulled from the water, investigators found human bones and a wallet that contained Clinkscales ID and credit cards.

"We believe those to be human in nature. We've called in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. They are currently at our facility taking that car apart and if they can, looking at what's in it to determine how many bones are in there and if they are indeed his bones," Woodruff said.

Woodruff said that while the discovery puts an end to the missing person case, it raises a whole set of new questions.

"How many bones they find? Do they find a skull? Something we can take to the crime lab and determine if there was foul play? Was he murdered and left there? Or did he run off the road and wreck there? Those are things we hope to discover," Woodruff said.

Gabby Diaz

About Gabby Diaz