South Florida man missing for 22 years found dead in retention pond

Skeletal remains of William Moldt found in submerged vehicle in Wellington

The skeletal remains of William Moldt, reported missing in 1997, were found inside a submerged vehicle in a retention pond in Wellington.

WELLINGTON, Fla. – A South Florida man missing for 22 years has been found dead in a retention pond.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office investigators said Wednesday that the skeletal remains of William Moldt were found in a vehicle submerged in a retention pond in the Grand Isles at Wellington community.

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Moldt, 40, was reported missing Nov. 8, 1997.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said the vehicle was discovered in the pond behind a resident's home on Moon Bay Circle in August.

"The vehicle's exterior was heavily calcified and was obviously in the water for a significant amount of time," Barbera said. "Upon removing the vehicle, skeletal remains were found inside."

Barbera said the medical examiner's office positively identified the remains.

According to the Charley Project, which profiles unsolved missing people cases in the U.S., Grand Isles at Wellington was under construction at the time of Moldt's disappearance. A satellite image of the pond from 2007 shows the vehicle in the water, but apparently nobody noticed it until recently.