On a September day in 1967, 59-year-old Roy Benn, a widower and local business owner, vanished from the Sauk Rapids, Minnesota area. He was last seen driving his metallic blue 1963 Buick Electra. At the time of his disappearance, it was reported that Benn, the owner of St. Cloud Gas and Appliance Service and a local apartment building, may have been carrying a significant amount of cash.
In the initial days following his last sighting, there was little information to indicate what might have happened to him. His credit cards were never used, and no checks were written from his bank account, deepening the mystery for his family and the community. His loved ones described him as being happy with his life and did not believe he would have willingly left his family. As years turned into decades with no sign of Benn or his vehicle, the case grew cold, leaving a void of unanswered questions.
The mystery of Roy Benn's disappearance lingered in the central Minnesota community for nearly six decades, becoming an enduring local enigma. Despite the passage of time, investigators continued to follow up on any potential leads, though none provided any concrete answers. Theories about what might have happened to him circulated, with some speculating about foul play due to the large sum of money he was believed to be carrying. His family, unable to find closure, eventually had him declared legally dead in 1975 in order to settle his affairs. The absence of both Benn and his distinctive Buick Electra left a haunting silence, with the Mississippi River holding its secrets just below the surface.
In a remarkable turn of events in August 2025, a fisherman using sonar on the Mississippi River near Sartell discovered what appeared to be a submerged vehicle. Authorities were notified, and dive teams were dispatched to the location. The vehicle, buried under decades of river sediment, was identified as a 1963 Buick Electra. After the difficult task of extracting the severely deteriorated car from the water, the vehicle identification number was matched to Roy Benn's missing car. Tragically, human remains were also discovered inside the vehicle. DNA testing later confirmed the remains belonged to Roy Benn. The subsequent investigation by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office concluded that Benn's death was the result of a single-vehicle accident involving water submersion, with no evidence of foul play. After 58 years of uncertainty, the case of Roy Benn was officially closed, ruled as an accidental death, finally providing long-awaited answers to his family and the community that had wondered about his fate for so long.Last Seen: Sep 25, 1967
