Investigators have discovered human remains inside the car of a woman who vanished in Arkansas 23 years ago along with her child.
Adventures With Purpose, a charity dedicated to solving cold cases nationwide, located Samantha Jean Hopper’s car submerged eight feet underwater on Tuesday, as stated by the Pope County Sheriff’s Office.
A missing persons report for Hopper was filed on September 11, 1998.
According to the report, Samantha, her daughter, and her blue Ford Tempo were never found. At the time of her disappearance, Samantha was reportedly heading to drop off her daughter, Courtney Holt, before going to a performance in Little Rock.
The charity found the vehicle eight feet beneath the surface.
Officials have stated that the human remains will be sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock for DNA analysis.
The Pope County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude for contributing to the resolution of this 23-year-old case and extended heartfelt condolences to the family of Samantha Hopper and Courtney Holt.
Hopper’s daughter, Dezarea, noted on a memorial page that her mother was nine months pregnant when she disappeared.
Dezarea’s sister was around two years old at the time, and she described the discovery of their remains as a “relief.”
