Natchitoches Woman’s Remains Found in Submerged Vehicle After Being Missing for 27 Years

A north Louisiana family now has closure after their loved one's remains have been found.

The Natchitoches Sheriff's Department recovered the body and vehicle of a woman who has been missing since 1993 in the Cane River on Monday.

On November 3, 1993, 40-year-old Kara E. Vaughn was reported missing. According to family members, Vaughn, a diabetic, left her home without her medication and less than $10 in cash.

On the night she left, she told her family she would drive her vehicle "into the Cane River and never be found." As you can imagine, family members were concerned about her and she said she was upset before left her home in her 1978 Honda Civic.

The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office began an investigation into Vaughn's disappearance back in 1993. They searched the river on several occasions, even using sonar equipment in 2007, but she was never found.

However, earlier this year, fishermen reported seeing a car in the river on two separate occasions: once in January and again in February.

With that information in hand and with the assistance from Calcasieu Sheriff's Divers, the vehicle was recovered on Monday, March 15.

The 1978 Honda Civic that Kara Vaughn was last seen in was found submerged in 10 to 15 feet of water in the Cane River. Divers were able to recover the remains of the skeleton in the driver's seat.

An ID and photos of Kara were found inside the vehicle and surprisingly in legible condition.

The vehicle was carefully removed from the water using special floatation bags.

"Unfortunately the outcome did not come out as we expected for Kara but at least the family has some closure now," said Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright, offering his condolences to the family.