Remains found in car in Illinois river identified as 2 men who vanished in 1976, coroner says

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — DNA testing on skeletal remains found in a car pulled from an Illinois river confirmed they are those of two men who vanished in 1976 after leaving a farm auction, authorities said.

Testing performed by the Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services confirmed they are the remains of Clarence Owens and Everett Hawley, the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office said Tuesday.

Hawley, 72, of Stockton, Illinois, and Owens, 65, of Freeport, Illinois, vanished after leaving a farm auction on Feb. 19, 1976, near the Winnebago-Ogle county line, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office said

Hawley was a real estate broker in Freeport, while Owens was a salesperson in Hawley’s firm.

“This bring us one step closer to providing closure to the families of Clarence Owens and Everett Hawley who have waited many years for answers that have been affected by this tragic case,” Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana said in a statement.

In March, people fishing along the Pecatonica River discovered a submerged vehicle in the river using a sonar fish finder. Recovery crews then used a crane to pull the 1966 Chevrolet Impala sedan from the river in the village of Pecatonica, the Rockford Register Star reported.

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