Found Deceased FL - Robert Heikka, 70, Port Orange, 25 Oct 2020

[DrQ]

Thanks for the info Unsolved. I learn something new every day. I've been a member since 2015 but was not able to post due to my type of work. I'm now free to explore.

 

[GatorFL]

ITA plus all the scrub/woods. I know busy I 4 and I 95 both have accidents every day down here with people running their vehicle off the road into the wood line. Usually there's a passerby who calls it in when it happens, but I also know sometimes someone happens to catch a glimpse of a reflection (taillight, etc.) and asks FHP to check it out.

I know you know what I'm talking about, but for others here it can be really dense stuff:

View attachment 340126

Agreed. And of course we have all the bridges all over the place. I'm in South FL now, I remember a story where a lady was driving on the highway and got into an accident and her car was thrown over the side into that kind of scrub. She was found after 3 days: Tillie Tooter, woman who survived 3 days in snake-infested mangrove swamp, dies at 98

 

[sds71]

Heikka had been working in the Volusia County School District since 1989 and started teaching at Creekside Middle School in 2002.

His car was found in water near Pioneer Trail, according to the sheriff's office, and a dive team is working to recover

Deputies said the vehicle was found in the area of 4290 Pioneer Trail, between State Road 44 and State Road 415.

Body found in car identified as Port Orange teacher who went missing in 2020

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the body inside a car belonging to a teacher who went missing in 2020 is him.

www.wesh.com

Body found inside vehicle of missing Volusia County teacher, deputies say

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office announced that a body was found inside of missing teacher Robert Heikka’s vehicle that was located in a canal on Saturday.

www.clickorlando.com

 

[Unsolved]

Oh this is so sad. I think many of us couldn't shake the feeling that this was the answer, and I am glad at least he was finally recovered. RIP Robert.

 

[PommyMommy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1644834146504654848

 

[PommyMommy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1644851745363820544

 

[PayrollNerd]

They used the word canal, not pond so I'm thinking that address must be the closest one. There's a few canals right there along that driveway.

Glad he's been found and his family can lay him to rest.

 

[PaulaDC]

Heikka had been working in the Volusia County School District since 1989 and started teaching at Creekside Middle School in 2002.

His car was found in water near Pioneer Trail, according to the sheriff's office, and a dive team is working to recover

Deputies said the vehicle was found in the area of 4290 Pioneer Trail, between State Road 44 and State Road 415.

Body found in car identified as Port Orange teacher who went missing in 2020

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the body inside a car belonging to a teacher who went missing in 2020 is him.

www.wesh.com

Body found inside vehicle of missing Volusia County teacher, deputies say

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office announced that a body was found inside of missing teacher Robert Heikka’s vehicle that was located in a canal on Saturday.

www.clickorlando.com

Boy, I drive through here twice weekly to and from work. Sad outcome.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

In a news release, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said a car that belonged to a teacher in Port Orange, Florida, Robert Heikka, was found in a canal near 4290 Pioneer Trail.

The Sunshine State Sonar Search Team and Recon Dive Recovery reportedly went into the water and confirmed the license plate, according to the sheriff’s office.

The car was removed from the canal Saturday night, according to WFTV. At first, wasn’t clear if anyone was inside the car but once they got inside the car, they found one dead person inside.

Officials: Body found in car belonging to teacher who went missing 3 years ago

Authorities are working to positively identify the remains found in the car of a teacher who went missing on Oct. 25, 2020.

www.kiro7.com

*very sad. Thoughts to their family

 

[GatorFL]

Imagine that, found a couple miles from where he worked. I figured he was in the water somewhere. Florida has been unusually dry, maybe the water receded enough to aid in his discovery. RIP

 

[PommyMommy]

Imagine that, found a couple miles from where he worked. I figured he was in the water somewhere. Florida has been unusually dry, maybe the water receded enough to aid in his discovery. RIP

Yep, that's apparently exactly what happened. MOO

Missing teacher's car found submerged with a body inside: Deputies

Deputies in Volusia County, Florida, announced that they discovered a missing teacher's car with a body inside.

lawandcrime.com

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office said on Saturday that Heikka’s car was found in a canal along Pioneer Trail. The water level had “recently dropped significantly,” they said.

 

[GatorFL]

Yep, that's apparently exactly what happened. MOO

Missing teacher's car found submerged with a body inside: Deputies

Deputies in Volusia County, Florida, announced that they discovered a missing teacher's car with a body inside.

lawandcrime.com

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office said on Saturday that Heikka’s car was found in a canal along Pioneer Trail. The water level had “recently dropped significantly,” they said.

I am super familiar with this area. Grew up here, lived off Pioneer Trail and a stones throw from Creekside. IIRC LEO was looking for him in southern and western Volusia county. And he was so close to his job and home.

 

[PommyMommy]

APR 12, 2023

Body found in car identified as Port Orange teacher who went missing in 2020

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the body inside a car belonging to a teacher who went missing in 2020 is him.

www.wesh.com

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the body inside a car belonging to a teacher who went missing in 2020 is him.

On Saturday, Robert Heikka’s car was found in a canal along Pioneer Trail in New Smyrna Beach. ...

[...]

The groups look at where a person was leaving from and heading to and where their cellphone last pinged to determine bodies of water to search. They've been working to find Heikka since October 2022.

KF with Recon Dive Recovery said, "They had sent us to Orlando to check the possible foul play. We did 40 ponds in 12 hours in the middle of the night, 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., knocked out 40 bodies of water. Ruled out the foul play aspect out of Orlando and started focusing back on this area."

They say the spot in New Smyrna Beach where Heikka's car was found is just a few miles from his home.

[...]

 

[GatorFL]

APR 12, 2023

Body found in car identified as Port Orange teacher who went missing in 2020

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the body inside a car belonging to a teacher who went missing in 2020 is him.

www.wesh.com

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the body inside a car belonging to a teacher who went missing in 2020 is him.

On Saturday, Robert Heikka’s car was found in a canal along Pioneer Trail in New Smyrna Beach. ...

[...]

The groups look at where a person was leaving from and heading to and where their cellphone last pinged to determine bodies of water to search. They've been working to find Heikka since October 2022.

KF with Recon Dive Recovery said, "They had sent us to Orlando to check the possible foul play. We did 40 ponds in 12 hours in the middle of the night, 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., knocked out 40 bodies of water. Ruled out the foul play aspect out of Orlando and started focusing back on this area."

They say the spot in New Smyrna Beach where Heikka's car was found is just a few miles from his home.

[...]

BBM. Literally right around the corner from his home and job.

IIRC there was lots and lots of rain in October and November 2020. Not surprised he went into a canal and wasn't found until a drought. Still, it seems like LEO could have focused closer to home than wild goose chases in Orlando.

 

[Unsolved]

I just wanted to add that the same group that found Robert made another recovery! It's bittersweet because it's so sad, but so good they were able to clear what happened. This time they found Robert Helphrey, missing since 2006:

"A car linked to a missing man from 2006 was found Friday with human skeletal remains inside in Palm Harbor, Florida, officials say."

<and>

"The Sunshine State Sonar dive team, a volunteer search group, helped investigators find the car, according to WFLA. The Sunshine State Sonar dive team recently helped investigators recover a missing teacher’s car in Volusia County, Florida last week."

Car with human skeletal remains pulled from Florida pond

The car was registered to a man who was last seen in May 2006.

www.wftv.com

Prayers that they will be able to help other families with further finds!

 

[PayrollNerd]

Confirmed.

Car belonging to FL man missing since 2006 recovered from pond a few miles from his home

Almost 17 years later, the car belonging to a missing man from Palm Harbor was recovered from a pond only a few miles from his home.

cbs12.com