Ali Condon
A student's disappearance in 1976 had investigators scratching their heads for decades, but 47 years later, his remains have been found.
22-year-old Kyle Clinkscales had last been seen at the bar he worked at in his hometown in Georgia on 27 January, 1976.
He got into his white Ford Pinto that night with plans to drive back to school in Alabama, but was sadly never seen again.
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Authorities searched for Kyle and his car for years, but never found a trace of him - that was until December 2021, when someone spotted a Ford Pinto in a creek in Cusseta, Alabama.
Police uncovered human remains inside the car, as well as a wallet with ID and credits.
Immediately, investigators were able to confirm that the license plates were a match for Kyle's car, and the credit cards, ID, and wallet belonged to him.
The remains were handed over to Georgia's state bureau of investigation for DNA analysis at the time and, just over a year later, the local sheriff's office has confirmed that they were a match for Clinkscales.
A statement from Troup County Sheriff's Office read: "On February 19, 2023, the Troup County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Troup County Coroner’s Office that those remains were positively identified as that of Kyle Clinkscales.
"The Coroner’s Office received this information from the GBI at which time they released it."
Although the almost five-decade long mystery has finally been solved, investigators haven't yet determined Kyle's cause and manner of death.
While the cause of death describes what might have killed a person, the manner determines whether it was natural causes, an accident, or a homicide.
Authorities originally believed that Kyle had been killed, and even arrested two people in connection with his disappearance.
The two people were later accused of making false statements. While one was set free, the other pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements and was sentenced to seven years and eight months behind bars.
Unfortunately, neither of Kyle's parents lived long enough to hear the local sheriff's announcement this week.
While Kyle's father John died of a heart attack in 2007, his mother Louise died in early 2021 - around 11 months before Kyle's Ford Pinto was recovered.
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