Bodies of men missing since 2018 found in truck submerged in Oklahoma pond, police say
Oklahoma police believe they have found the bodies of two men missing since 2018 in a vehicle that was submerged in a pond.
The Moore Police Department received a call detailing a truck in a pond behind a real estate school Monday afternoon, Moore Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Jeremy Lewis told ABC News. The water in the pond had recently receded due to recent drought, making the top of the car visible, he said.
When the truck was pulled out of the water, two bodies were found inside, Lewis said.
The vehicle, a red Ford Ranger pickup truck, and its license plate matched the description of what 67-year-old Purcell resident Charles Ervin Moore had been driving when he went missing in June 2018, Lewis said.
The body of Larry Gene Matthews, 65, who was also reported missing last summer, was in the car as well, Lewis said.
Police believe the truck could have been in the pond for at least a year, Lewis said. The water is currently up to 15 feet deep.
Moore's family members told police at the time of his disappearance that he had serious medical issues and limited mobility, NBC Oklahoma City affiliate KFOR reported.
Police are awaiting DNA tests to positively identify the bodies, but both men were carrying identification that match the missing persons, Lewis said.
The medical examiner will check to see if the bodies show signs of trauma, Lewis said. Police are awaiting the results of the autopsy to decide whether they will investigate the deaths as suspicious.
