Leawood Police announced Monday that a volunteer dive team retrieved a vehicle from a neighborhood retention pond that matches the description of the car driven by Jay Flekier, a 59‑year‑old man who was reported missing on June 7, 2016.
Discovery and recovery
According to Capt. Jason Ahring, the Leawood Police spokesperson, the dive team deployed sonar equipment in the pond located in the 14700 block of Norwood Street, within the LeaBrooke neighborhood near 148th Street and Kenneth Road. The sonar returned a large metal echo, prompting a diver to investigate. The diver located a car with a license plate that corresponded to Flekier’s vehicle.
After the initial find, the Overland Park Police Department’s dive team was called in to assist. Using a tow truck, they lifted the car from the water on Saturday morning.
Skeletal remains and ongoing identification
Leawood Police reported that skeletal remains were discovered inside the vehicle after it was raised. The Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office is now working to identify the remains.
“Our thoughts continue to be with Mr. Flekier’s family, who have asked for privacy,” Capt. Ahring said in the release.
Volunteer dive team and community response
Missouri‑based Echo Divers, the volunteer group that located the car, posted on its Facebook page that it could not provide further details at this time out of respect for the family and the investigative process. The organization pledged to release a full video of the search when it becomes appropriate.
Echo Divers describes itself as “Missouri’s specialized search and recovery team, partnering with law‑enforcement agencies, organizations, and families to help bring closure in missing persons cases.”
Background on the missing person case
Jay Flekier was reported missing from his southern Leawood home a decade ago, the same day his mother’s funeral was held. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS), maintained by the National Institute of Justice, lists his disappearance as occurring on June 7, 2016. At the time of his disappearance, police opened an investigation but did not suspect foul play.
The recovery of the vehicle and the discovery of remains represent a significant development for the family and the community, offering a possible path toward closure after ten years of uncertainty.
Police statement
Capt. Ahring emphasized that the investigation remains active and that the department will continue to work closely with the medical examiner’s office and the family as more information becomes available.
Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.
