Student Missing For 47 Years Finally Found In Car At Bottom Of Canal
ArchiveFirst published June 13, 2024. It may not reflect later developments.
Kyle Clinkscales, a 22-year-old Auburn University student, vanished on January 27, 1976, after leaving his job at a bar in LaGrange, Georgia, driving his Ford Pinto towards campus. For nearly 47 years, his disappearance remained a haunting mystery. Despite extensive searches, including lakes, authorities found no trace of him, leaving his family in anguish.
Recently, a breakthrough came when a passerby spotted a white Ford Pinto in an Alabama creek. Inside, authorities found human remains along with Kyle’s wallet, ID, and credit cards. DNA analysis confirmed the bones belonged to Kyle Clinkscales, as announced by the Troup County Sheriff’s Office in February 2023.
His friend, Lauren Griffen, remembers Kyle fondly: “His personality was just charming. He was a sweet guy… very kind to everyone.” Sadly, Kyle’s parents passed away in 2009 without ever knowing their son’s fate.
The discovery finally provides closure for those who knew Kyle, although the cause of his death remains officially undetermined.
