The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced at a press conference that the remains of Mary Lou Combs, a Palm Coast woman who vanished more than 22 years ago, have been recovered from a vehicle found upside down and partially buried in the Intracoastal Waterway. Investigators believe the 41-year-old accidentally drove into the water in August 2003 and was trapped inside her car as it sank. While final confirmation through DNA testing is still pending, officials say they are 99.9 percent certain the remains belong to Combs.
Combs was last seen on August 19, 2003, leaving her home at 3 Sanchez Avenue in the Hammock area of Flagler County after an argument with her mother. She periodically shared the home with her mother and two of her three children. Two weeks after she was last seen, her sister-in-law contacted the sheriff’s office and a statewide be-on-the-lookout was issued, though no formal missing persons report was filed at that time. On October 9, 2003, Combs was officially reported missing in a report taken by then-Deputy John Reckenwald, who is now a sergeant over the agency’s marine and agriculture unit.
During follow-up investigations in January 2004, Combs’ mother provided deputies with her vehicle information, a 1996 red Dodge Plymouth Neon. Her family told deputies she had been fired from her job a week before her disappearance and had never collected her final paycheck. They also reported that she had missed her children’s birthdays and holidays, which was very unlike her. Over the years, detectives followed numerous tips but were unable to locate Combs, and the case went cold.
In 2020, Sheriff Rick Staly launched the agency’s first full-time cold case unit. Then-Detective Andrew Cangellosi picked up the case, re-interviewing known associates and coordinating searches of ponds and canals with the sheriff’s office dive team. The case was featured on First Coast News’ Unsolved Crimes and Fox 35’s True Crimes Files in late 2021, but no new leads were generated.
The breakthrough came through a partnership with two volunteer dive teams. In February 2024, the sheriff’s office partnered with Recon Dive and Recovery, led by Ken Fleming, and Helo and Sub, led by Vern Schertz. The teams targeted roughly 300 ponds in the area, ruled out those that did not exist at the time of Combs’ disappearance, and systematically searched locations along the route from her home to where she was expected to pick up her paycheck. They eventually turned their focus to the Intracoastal Waterway.
On October 25, 2025, the volunteer teams found what they believed to be a vehicle submerged upside down approximately 14 to 17 feet underwater and partially buried in muck. A bumper consistent with Combs’ vehicle was also located near 18th Road, which is a dirt road that was once used as a boat ramp leading directly into the water, roughly four-tenths of a mile from Combs’ home. The sheriff’s office dive team confirmed the find but determined the depth, condition, and location of the vehicle required additional resources.
The FBI’s Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team from Miami and the Evidence Response Team from Jacksonville were called in. In December 2025, FBI divers conducted an underwater survey to plan the recovery. On February 3, 2026, which coincidentally fell on National Missing Persons Day, a three-day multi-agency recovery operation began. The FBI provided close to 30 personnel, including specialists from as far away as Quantico, Virginia.
FBI divers entered the vehicle through a broken driver’s side window. Dredging equipment was used to suction contents into an evidence recovery basket on shore, where evidence response teams sifted through the sediment. Among the items recovered were parts consistent with a Dodge Neon, a size 7 shoe matching Combs’ shoe size, a Florida driver’s license issued to Mary Combs that was described as being in pristine condition, toys that Combs’ daughter Natasha confirmed were hers, and human remains, including a leg bone with metal plates attached. The metal plates are significant because Combs was known to have had plates implanted after a crushing ankle injury. An FBI forensic anthropologist confirmed the presence of human remains on the scene.
Investigators believe Combs accidentally drove into the Intracoastal Waterway at the end of 18th Road. They believe the current carried the car north as it filled with water, capsized, and sank to the bottom near 66 and 68 Hernandez Avenue, likely trapping Combs inside. The broken driver’s side window could indicate she tried to escape or that the window was damaged over time. Sheriff Staly said investigators may never know exactly what occurred. The vehicle was located approximately 40 to 50 feet from shore.
“We know, given the passage of more than two decades, that finding Mary Lou alive was extremely unlikely,” Sheriff Staly said. “However, providing answers, no matter how difficult, is critical for families who have endured decades of uncertainty. Our goal has always been to bring resolution, accountability, if warranted, and the opportunity for a family to lay her to rest.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley of the Jacksonville field office praised the partnership. “FBI Jacksonville’s relationships with law enforcement agencies across North Florida couldn’t be stronger,” he said. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement partners to ensure we’re helping the community stay safer.”
Ken Fleming of Recon Dive and Recovery thanked Sheriff Staly for allowing his team to assist. “I’d like to thank Sheriff Staly for his leadership and allowing his cold case unit, his detectives, and all of his deputies to think outside the box and work with civilians,” Fleming said. He described the two-year search process and explained that the vehicle was so deteriorated after 22 years in salt water that a magnet would not stick to it and visibility underwater was only 12 to 18 inches.
Vern Schertz of Helo and Sub noted that there are nearly 1,000 similar cases across the United States, with a large portion in the Southeast. He said Florida alone has 70,000 retention ponds and tens of thousands of miles of canals in addition to natural waterways. Both volunteer organizations provided their services at no charge and operate on contributions and donations.
Combs’ daughter Natasha Harper, who was 13 years old when her mother disappeared, read a statement on behalf of the family at the press conference. “As a little girl, my mother was my best friend and my everything,” she said. “When she went missing, our worlds changed so much, and it has not been the same since. For over 22 years, we’ve known that our mother did not simply leave us, but we still grieved her and missed her kind and loving presence.” She thanked Detective Sarah Scalia, the volunteer divers, and the sheriff’s office. “We’re forever grateful that we can finally say goodbye,” she said. “May our mother rest in paradise.”
Combs is survived by her three children, Natasha, Robert, and Jeremy, six grandchildren, and six siblings. Two siblings, Heather and Dale, have since passed away. Her mother, also named Mary Lou Combs, passed away a couple of years after her daughter was reported missing, and her father, Harold Combs, passed in 2001. Mary Lou would have been 64 years old last October.
The case remains an active investigation as some unanswered questions remain, though Sheriff Staly said there is currently no evidence to suggest the death was anything other than a tragic accident. Final determination is pending DNA testing, though prolonged exposure to saltwater may have limited the ability for DNA comparison. When asked about lessons learned, Detective Scalia said the takeaway is to never give up and to accept help from outside partners. Sheriff Staly agreed, saying the case proves why it is important for law enforcement to welcome assistance from both agency partners and private individuals with specialized skills. “I think that would be the lesson that I would say for law enforcement across America,” he said. “It’s okay to get help. And then you’ll get results.”
The cold case unit continues to work on 16 open cold cases, including 11 homicides, four missing persons, and one undetermined case. Anyone with information about the Combs case or any cold case is asked to contact the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911, email tips at tips@flaglersheriff.com, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS.
