Police can't yet say who sank a 1995 Mercedes in the Mississippi River Diversion Channel Tuesday morning, but they're betting it was no accident.
"Finding a car dumped in the river is what we in the police business call a sure thing," said Don Cobb, Scott City police chief.
Such an occurrence is not new, either. This was the third vehicle found in the channel in the seven months Cobb has been chief, he said. The last car to be found was a stolen 1998 Dodge sedan submerged in November. The only apparent connection between the incidents is that the cars were all taken from Cape Girardeau, Cobb said.
"The boat dock used, as luck would have it, just happens to be in Scott City," Cobb said.
Robey's Auto Sales of Sikeston, Mo., which owned the latest car to be discovered underwater, has not filed a theft report with police in Cape Girardeau, said patrolman Jason Selzer.
A phone message left at Robey's Auto Sales was not returned as of late Tuesday.
Cobb said the owner dropped off the car and keys Monday night at a repair shop on Kingshighway to be serviced. On Tuesday morning, construction workers noticed the top of the car was sticking out a few inches above the surface of the water.
Firefighters from Cape Girardeau's water rescue team were called in to assist, but no one was inside the car and no diving by firefighters was required. The keys to the Mercedes were still in the ignition. After it was pulled to land, the trunk was opened and the car searched for clues.
Cobb declined to comment about what was found inside the car, but said an investigation is continuing in conjunction with Cape Girardeau police.
"It's a multijurisdictional thing, but luckily for us we have a really good relationship with Cape Girardeau's police department and their chief, Steve Strong," Cobb said.
Police say most cars found submerged at the Diversion Channel in Scott City and Honker's Dock in Cape Girardeau were deliberately sunk by thieves because it is a quick way to hide the crime.
"They're probably thinking that if you're going to steal a car for a joy ride and you can't burn it to get rid of it, then the water is a good place to try to destroy the evidence," Selzer said.
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