- Donald Erwin, 59, disappeared without a trace on December 29, 2013, after leaving his home to go to a cigarette shop
- James Hinkle, who runs the YouTube account Echo Divers, told DailyMail.com that he wanted Erwin, a veteran, to be given a proper burial
- Divers and cadaver dogs were brought to the scene in Camden County to recover human remains, most importantly an artificial hip consistent with Erwin's.
Human remains believed to be those of a Missouri veteran who disappeared 13 years ago have been discovered in a private pond with the help of a YouTuber who investigated the case.
Donald Erwin, a former Marine, disappeared on December 29, 2013 at the age of 59, after leaving his home to go to a cigarette store. According to his family, he disappeared without a trace.
James Hinkle, who runs a YouTube account called Echo diverswent on a mission to find answers surrounding Erwin's disappearance.
Hinkle is the father of a Marine and has veterans in his entire family, and he wanted to help in any way he could.
“These boys are all heroes, they deserve the best treatment possible,” Hinkle told DailyMail.com. “Military people are always heroes and those guys need to be brought home. Donnie served us, I wanted to serve him.”
Donald Erwin disappeared in December 2013 after driving to get cigarettes
The vehicle was dredged from the water after being spotted by one of Echo Divers' drone cameras just two days earlier
Erwin's vehicle was recovered from the pond water on a private property this week. There was no sign of him
Hinkle took a particular interest in the case after realizing he was only 90 minutes away from where Erwin was last seen.
On December 16, a clue finally came when his vehicle was discovered in a pond on a private property not far from where he lived.
The vehicle was dredged from the water after being spotted by one of Echo Divers' drone cameras just two days earlier.
Divers and cadaver dogs were brought to the scene in Camden County to recover human remains, especially an artificial hip that matched Erwin's.
“Although a forensic pathologist will need to examine the remains to conclusively determine if they are indeed those of Mr. Erwin, investigators are confident that the hip and remains are his,” the sheriff's office said .
Erwin was largely wheelchair dependent after losing his left leg above the knee.
According to Erwin's family, he disappeared 'without a trace'. They continue to search for answers about his disappearance
James Hinkle, who runs the YouTube account Echo Divers, is the father of a Marine and has veterans in his entire family and wanted to see Erwin, a veteran himself, brought home
The human remains of a Missouri veteran who disappeared 13 years ago have been discovered in a private pond with the help of a YouTuber who investigated the case
He lived with his wife in central Missouri and drove a silver Hyundai Elantra.
For ten years, his family has been endlessly searching for answers about his disappearance.
There have been no arrests and police say the current homeowners cooperated with the search.
According to Erwin's family, he disappeared without a trace in December 2013.
Now Hinkle says he hopes they can find a solution.
“I'm happy for the family, sad that they now have to go through the actual grieving process of knowing he's passed away, but after spending time with the family, they're grieving but happy to know they finally have answers ', he said. said.
'You can't put into words what that means and what that feels like.'