Indiana State Police investigating after vehicle connected to missing person case pulled from Ohio River

Photo courtesy: Sgt. Stephen Wheeles-Indiana State Police

Indiana State Police are assisting Ohio police in investigating a nearly 20-year-old missing person case after a vehicle connected to the case was located in the Ohio River on Thursday.

In April 2002, the Delhi Township Police Department began investigating the disappearance of 26-year-old Stephanie Van Nguyen and her two children, 4-year-old Kristina and 3-year-old John.

Nguyen was last known to be driving her 1997 Nissan Pathfinder.

Information gathered at the time found that Nguyen left a note that she was going to drive into the Ohio River, according to reports.

Her vehicle was not found at the time of the original investigation.

Delhi Township police recently began looking into the case again.

After a thorough search of the river using side sonar scan technology, divers located a vehicle that matched the description of Nguyen’s vehicle.

The vehicle was found near Aurora, Indiana.

The registration plate on the vehicle confirmed the vehicle belonged to Nguyen, police said.

 The vehicle was located at a depth of over 50 feet and was approximately 300 feet from the bank of the river when dive teams recovered it.

The vehicle was taken to a secure location where Indiana State Police investigators will examine it to determine if Nguyen or her children were in the vehicle.

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