Officials say the evidence supports an accidental plunge into the Intracoastal Waterway.
BUNNELL, Fla. — Authorities in Flagler County say they have likely found Mary Lou Combs, a mother of three who disappeared in 2003, after a recovery effort pulled human remains and personal items from a submerged vehicle discovered in the Intracoastal Waterway near Palm Coast.
The discovery, made after years of dead ends, is being treated as a major step toward closing a long-running missing-person case that weighed heavily on Combs’ children and investigators alike. Deputies said they are awaiting DNA confirmation and a medical examiner’s findings, but the car’s contents and a distinctive medical implant have strengthened their belief that Combs was inside the vehicle for more than two decades.
Combs was last seen on Aug. 19, 2003, officials said, when she left a home in Palm Coast where she stayed at times with her mother and her children. Her family grew alarmed when she missed a child’s birthday celebration a few days later. Investigators said relatives also became concerned when Combs failed to pick up a paycheck from her former employer, a Food Lion in Flagler Beach. On Oct. 9, 2003, the family reported her missing, setting off searches and a stream of tips that never produced a verified location for Combs or her red 1996 Plymouth Neon coupe.
Over time, the case drew rumors and competing theories, including speculation that Combs’ disappearance involved drugs or foul play. Deputies said they ran down leads and searched by air and water, but the area’s shifting currents and murky bottom conditions left little to show for the effort. In 2020, Sheriff Rick Staly created a cold case unit to keep work moving on unsolved homicides, missing people and sexual assaults. The unit revisited older files, organized records and reached out for specialized help, officials said, as the department pushed to find answers for families who had been waiting for years.
That renewed focus led to a volunteer dive team joining the search in February 2024, working with deputies to look for the missing Plymouth. In October 2025, divers recovered a bumper underwater near the area of 18th Road in Palm Coast that appeared to match the car Combs drove. Officials said the main vehicle was later located about 14 to 17 feet below the surface, upside down and partially buried in muck, requiring a careful approach to avoid destroying fragile evidence and to protect divers in low-visibility conditions.
The three-day recovery began Feb. 3, 2026, officials said, with support from specialized federal teams and local partners. Divers entered through a broken driver-side window and used dredging equipment to remove items by suction into a collection basket on shore. Investigators said they recovered children’s toys, clothing and vehicle pieces, along with Combs’ driver’s license and a shoe consistent with her reported shoe size. Human remains were also found inside, including a bone with a metal plate that appears consistent with hardware from an ankle reconstruction Combs previously underwent. Deputies said that combination of personal identification, medical hardware and location is why detectives believe the remains are Combs’ while DNA testing proceeds.
Staly said investigators now believe Combs’ disappearance was caused by a crash into the water rather than a crime, and he urged caution about long-circulating claims that she died elsewhere. He said current evidence indicates a tragic accident, and he described a broken window as a sign Combs may have tried to escape after the vehicle entered the water. Staly also thanked the agencies and teams involved in the recovery and said the goal was to provide families clarity, even when the answer is painful. “Providing answers, no matter how difficult, is critical for families who have endured decades of uncertainty,” Staly said.
For Combs’ children, the news arrived with grief and relief at once. Natasha Harper, who was 13 when her mother vanished, spoke during a public briefing and described the lasting impact of growing up without answers. She said her family did not believe Combs simply chose to leave and thanked those who helped bring the search to an outcome, even a heartbreaking one. Harper ended her remarks with a message of remembrance, saying she hoped her mother could now rest in peace.
Officials said the case is not formally closed until forensic testing is complete. The sheriff’s office said it will share updates when DNA results and the medical examiner’s findings are available, and investigators will continue reviewing records to ensure the evidence aligns with the accidental crash theory.
Author note: Last updated February 25, 2026.