Divers recover car of Massachusetts teen who went missing in 1982
BILLERICA, Mass. —
Authorities have made a major find in the case of a missing teenager from nearly 40 years ago.
The Middlesex District Attorney's Office said Tuesday that investigators recovered a vehicle from the Concord River that has been positively identified as the 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger that was driven by 17-year-old Judith Chartier, of Chelmsford, when she disappeared on June 5, 1982.
As part of an ongoing investigation, the Massachusetts State Police Dive Team and civilian divers found significant portions of a vehicle in the river. Through a match of the vehicle identification number (VIN), those pieces were confirmed to be from Chartier's vehicle.
On June 5, 1982, Chartier went missing after leaving a party in Billerica. Friends reported that Chariter was last seen around 2 a.m., and she has not been seen since.
“This is a very significant development in this case and we are still processing the car for any additional evidence," Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement. "Sadly, this discovery comes after nearly forty heartbreaking years of Judith’s friends and family missing her and wondering about what happened that day. We are committed to continuing the search for those answers."
The investigation into Chartier's disappearance is being conducted by Ryan's Cold Case Unit, Billerica police, Chelmsford police, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to Ryan's Office and the MSP Dive Team.
Ryan's office extended thanks to Bruce Stebbins and Hans Hug of Sonar Search and Recovery, civilian experts who utilized Edgetech Sonar System to locate the vehicle and whose assistance was "critical to the investigation."