The Grand Isles man, Brian Martin, was searching his old neighborhood when he spotted a light-colored object in the water behind his old house. He contacted the new owners to ask if they knew about the object, which led to them sending out up drone to inspect it.
That led to a call to police. According to WPTV, deputies responded to the call on Moon Bay Circle on Aug. 28 at approximately 6:30 p.m. and towed the vehicle from the water.
Inside the car, which is still visible on Google Maps, were the 22-year-old skeletal remains of William Earl Moldt, who was last seen on Nov. 7, 1997, and was reported missing the next day.
Moldt was 40 when he disappeared and would be 62 years old today. He was believed to have had several drinks before leaving an adult nightclub on the night he disappeared.
A Facebook post by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office details how the remains were found.
A previous resident living in Grand Isles was doing a “google search” on google earth, in the area and noticed what appeared to be a vehicle in the pond behind a residence. That previous resident contacted the current resident living on Moon Bay Circle and advised he noticed what appears to be a vehicle in a pond behind his home. The current resident activated his personal drone and confirmed what the previous resident saw and immediately contacted PBSO.Stay on top of Orlando news and views. Sign up for our weekly Headlines newsletter.
Upon arrival deputies confirmed there was a vehicle in the pond. The vehicle’s exterior was heavily calcified and was obviously in the water for a significant amount of time. Upon removing the vehicle skeleton remains were found inside.
Detectives and Crime Scene responded and assumed the investigation. The vehicle and the remains were towed to the Medical Examiner's Office for processing.
On September 10, 2019, the remains were positively identified as William Moldt, who was reported missing on November 8, 1997.
