The vehicle’s registered owner is connected to a New Mexico missing-person case from 2015, but authorities have not confirmed the remains’ identity.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Human remains found inside a vehicle recovered from a lake in Scottsdale are being examined as investigators determine whether they are connected to a New Mexico missing-person case dating to 2015, authorities said.
The discovery followed an unrelated helicopter flight over the McCormick Ranch area on Aug. 30. A Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was near McCormick Parkway and Hayden Road at about 3:30 p.m. when its crew spotted what appeared to be a vehicle beneath the water, according to authorities. Scottsdale police took over the investigation after the discovery.
Police used a drone to confirm that a vehicle was submerged in the lake. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team then assisted with recovering the vehicle. Human remains were found inside, authorities said. The remains were transferred to the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner for examination and identification.
Scottsdale police said the vehicle’s registered owner is connected to a missing-person case reported in New Mexico in 2015. Authorities have not publicly identified the registered owner or the person whose remains were recovered. Investigators also have not confirmed that the remains belong to the person connected to the missing case.
The distinction is important as the investigation continues. Although the vehicle provides a potential connection to the decade-old disappearance, medical examiners must establish the identity of the remains before authorities can determine whether the discovery resolves that case. Officials have said the identification process could take time.
The circumstances surrounding how the vehicle entered the lake also remain unclear. Police have not announced how long investigators believe it was underwater or released a timeline showing when it may have entered the lake. The vehicle was discovered only after the sheriff’s helicopter crew noticed it while responding to an unrelated matter in the area.
Scottsdale police said investigators had not found evidence indicating foul play as of the latest public update. That finding remains preliminary while the investigation and medical examination continue. Authorities have not released a cause or manner of death, and the medical examiner is expected to make those determinations as part of its examination.
The case has renewed attention on an unresolved New Mexico disappearance that began more than a decade ago, but authorities have released few details about that investigation. Without a confirmed identification, officials have stopped short of saying the discovery in Scottsdale resolves the missing-person case.
The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner is working to identify the remains and determine the cause and manner of death. Scottsdale police are continuing their investigation while awaiting those findings, and no additional information about the missing person’s identity has been publicly confirmed.
Author note: Last updated September 26, 2026.