Divers found a missing Pennsylvania man underwater in his SUV, nearly two decades after he vanished. The Delaware County Medical Examiner’s Office said they used dental records to positively identify James “Jimmy” Amabile, 38, according to KYW.
The last anyone apparently heard from Amabile was the afternoon of Dec. 4, 2003. He called his babysitter after he overslept to tell her he was going to be late picking up his two young daughters. He disappeared without a trace. His wife reported him missing. Police did not find his 2002 Ford Explorer throughout the years.
“From Morton Avenue to Bullens Lane, he disappears from the face of the Earth,” Lt. Scott Willoughby told The Delco Times in a 2012 report. “So does his 2002 green Explorer.”
There were no leads to that day, he said. Personal items including Amabile’s bank account, credit cards, and cell phone have not been used. No sign of his diabetes prescription being filled.
Family dismissed the idea he abandoned them. He loved his daughters too much to ever leave them of his own volition.
“He loved those girls more than life,” said his older brother Michael Amabile. “He did not walk out on those girls. They were his life.”
Crews used sonar technology to find the Ford Explorer 24 feet underwater in Darby Creek at the Ridley Township Marina, according to KYW.
The volunteer organization Adventurers with Purpose Underwater Dive and Recovery said in a video March 20 that they believe they found the vehicle after following the cell phone ping of Amabile’s final call to a nearby tower and eliminating bodies of water as possible locations for being too shallow.
The group described the dive as rough, with the water having much debris.
James’ brother Stephen Amabile told The Philadelphia Inquirer in a March 19 report—while authorities were still identifying the remains—that he thinks James feel into a diabetic shock during a hectic day, made a wrong turn, and drove into the creek.
“No matter what anyone ever says, you’re not at peace until you get more answers,” he said.
[Screenshot via KYW]