Accident – Death – Obituary News : The recent discovery of a car containing human remains in the Pecatonica River has reignited a decades-old mystery surrounding the disappearance of two northern Illinois men, Everett Hawley and Clarence Owens. The car, a 1966 Chevrolet Impala owned by Owens, was found at the bottom of the river after fishermen spotted it using a sonar fish finder. Crews used a crane to retrieve the vehicle near the corner of East First and Washington streets in Pecatonica.
**The Mysterious Disappearance**
Hawley, 72, and Owens, 65, were last seen on February 19, 1976, after attending a political rally in downtown Pecatonica. They had lunch at a nearby cafe, visited a farm auction in Ogle County, and were planning to do a land appraisal in Stephenson County before disappearing. Witnesses last saw them at the old Leo Borgmann farm on Pecatonica Road, walking the grounds.
**The Enigmatic Duo**
Hawley, a former manager of the Federal Land Bank Association in Freeport, stood at an impressive 6 feet 6 inches and weighed around 250 pounds. Owens, known affectionately as “Jum,” was about 5 feet 8 inches and 200 pounds, with a lifetime devoted to real estate and land development. Both men were well-respected in the community and had no known enemies.
**The Eerie Clues**
Despite extensive searches and investigations over the years, there were few clues to the whereabouts of Hawley and Owens. No activity was recorded in their bank accounts after their disappearance, and a sighting of a gold sedan matching Owens’ car was never confirmed. Only a pair of horn-rimmed glasses, similar to Owens’, was found by the roadside, but the prescription did not match his.
**The Startling Discovery**
When the car was pulled from the river, over 100 human bones belonging to two individuals were recovered, including a femur and a temporal bone. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Coroner’s Office are working to identify the remains and search for more bones. Personal items found in the car may provide further clues to the identities of the skeletal remains.
**The Ongoing Investigation**
The disappearance of Hawley and Owens is still classified as a missing persons case until the remains are positively identified, and a cause of death is determined. Authorities urge anyone with information about the case to contact the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office at 815-319-6400.
In this tragic and mysterious case, the community awaits answers to the questions that have lingered for nearly five decades. The discovery of the car in the Pecatonica River has brought new hope for closure in a long-standing cold case..