WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Sixteen years later, the remains of a missing man were possibly found in Winston Lake Park Saturday morning.
The Winston-Salem Police Department said that on Oct. 4, 2006, a family member of Dedrick Bernard Smith, 26, reported Smith as a “Missing Person.” When Smith went missing, he was driving a 1993 Pontiac Grand Am. The investigation went on for years after he disappeared until now.
Officers said that around 7:15 p.m. Friday, a member of an organization called “Adventures with Purpose" contacted the Winston-Salem police. Group members told police that they think they found the 1993 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Dedrick Smith at the bottom of Winston Lake Park.
At 7 a.m. Saturday, detectives worked with members of “Adventures with Purpose" to pull the car from the lake. The car matched the description of the missing 1993 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Smith.
"We are a volunteer search and sonar dive recovery team," Adventures with Purpose Lead Diver Doug Bishop said. "We do not charge families or law enforcement."
Investigators also said they found human remains inside the Pontiac Grand Am, and they are working to see if the remains belong to Smith.
Police said Smith's family was notified about the recovery. Bishop said they are extremely grateful.
"This is a really tough time for them to navigate through now that they have these answers but the gratitude that they expressed was really heartfelt," Bishop said.
This investigation is ongoing.
Three more vehicles were removed from Winston Lake on Monday, April 4. Those vehicles were all identified as stolen & not associated with this case.
Anyone with any information about this investigation is asked to call the Winston-Salem Police Department at 336-773-7700, crime stoppers at 336-727-2800, or En Espanol at 336-728-3904.