A woman in the US went to great lengths to uncover her son's remains, the latest of which involved draining an entire pond.
Connie Goodwin from Missouri, US, has been dealing with the grief of losing her son Edward after he was killed by two of his close friends, Eldrid Smith and Rickey Hurt, who are both serving time for the murder.
Back in 2015 when the crime was unfolding, Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs told the Standard Democrat: "Apparently, there was a grudge over past drug transactions between Ed Goodwin and the group who eventually assaulted him."
Edward was just 32 at the time of the murder, leaving behind his son Gage. In a conversation with the Riverfront Times, Connie described him as 'a hard worker who made some bad choices but was a good person'.
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Although Connie came to discover that her son's body was dumped in a pond northwest of Poplar Bluff, recovering his remains has been a seven-year-long battle.
In 2017, Butler County Sheriff's Department drained part of the pond and found a pelvis and femurs, which were identified to be Ed's, and were used as evidence to help bring down Eldrid and Rickey.
Butler County Coroner Jim Akers told the local newspaper: "They drained it down to where it was just within a few feet of being completely drained, but you have all the sediment, all the mud."
Although the police department promised to drain it all the way, Connie, 57, claims they kept giving her excuses over the next five years as to why they couldn't finish the job.
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"There was always a reason. Either because of other crimes going on or the weather," she said.
In 2021, officers did continue working on the pond – estimated to be around 90 feet by 140 feet in size – but it wasn't enough to recover the remains.
Last Saturday (17 September) she decided enough was enough and together with Ed's son, now 22, they rented a sump pump to finally get what they'd been asking for.
In just two hours they spotted what looked like bones sticking out from the base. Connie immediately called Jim, who warned them that the mud could be dangerous to walk into.
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But Connie said: "The next thing you know, my grandson, he's tall and slender-built, took off in a running stance through that mud. It was up to his knees."
When Jim arrived, he and Gage carefully placed the skeletal remains onto a kayak and pulled them to shore.
Thankfully the family are now finally able to put their loved one to rest after what was described as a bittersweet day.
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Connie concluded: "It was a sad day. It was a joyful day, too, because we could bring our son home."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677