The skeletal remains of a student missing for 47 years have been identified after his car was found in a canal.
Kyle Clinkscales, 22, vanished on the night of January 27, 1976, after he was last spotted working at a bar in LaGrange, Georgia, US.
The student was intending to drive back to Auburn University, which was around 35 miles away from his hometown, in his white 1974 Ford Pinto but he never returned.
Authorities spent years looking for the missing student and searched lakes to try and find his body and car but he was never found, which left experts baffled.
His heartbroken mum Louise said when he went missing: “It was like the earth opened … and he vanished."
His parents John and Louise had previously revealed how a caller oncer told them their son was killed and his body had been dumped.
However, a major break through came on December 7, 2021, when a passerby spotted a white Ford Pinto in a creek in Cusseta, Alabama, and immediately contacted police.
When authorities arrived they discovered human bones, a wallet, ID and credit cards in the car.
The remains were taken to Georgia Bureau of Investigation for DNA analysis, which confirmed the body belonged to the missing student.
Police said in a statement: "The Troup County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Troup County Coroner’s Office that those remains were positively identified as that of Kyle Clinkscales."
However, his death still remains a mystery with police still unsure how he died and ended up in the creek.
The finding has given some closure to Kyle's friends and family who were always dreading the moment he could be found.
Friend Lauren Griffen said everyone was hoping his disappearance would be solved.
She said: “Everybody was always wondering if he was going to show up somewhere”.
Lauren described Kyle as a "sweet guy" who was kind to everyone.
She added: “His personality was just charming. He was a sweet guy. Most of the time he was very quiet. But he was very kind to everyone."
Sadly, Kyle's parents died and were never able to seek closure on their missing son.
His dad died in 2007 and his mum died in January this year, according to the family.
No one was ever charged with Kyle's murder.
Officials remain unsure if he drove into the canal by accident or whether someone murdered him.
