BOCA RATON, Fla. — After a decade of uncertainty, investigators say they’ve found the body of 25-year-old Steven MacKrell, bringing long-awaited answers to his family and it’s all thanks to a private dive team that made the discovery.
In an exclusive interview with WPTV, the team behind the recovery shared how they solved a cold case that had stumped investigators for years.
WATCH BELOW: WPTV's Michael Hoffman sits down with the founder of Sunshine State Sonar
Beneath the dark waters of a Boca Raton pond, a mystery that lasted 10 years has finally been uncovered.
It was the early hours of July 30, 2015, when surveillance video captured MacKrell at a Valero Gas Station in Pompano Beach. Another clip showed him driving away in his 2013 Ford Fusion. That was the last time anyone saw him alive.
In the years after his disappearance, investigators tried to piece together what happened that night, but eventually, according to police documents, “exhausted all leads.”
Seven years later, Michael Sullivan, founder of Sunshine State Sonar, and his private dive team stepped in.
“We started working on that case,” said Sullivan.
Sullivan and his team searched hundreds of bodies of water across South Florida, marking each location as they went. Then, he says, one team member came forward with a theory.
“She says, I’ve got a theory. Steven gets on 95, he goes north a couple exits. As soon as he gets off this exit, he makes a left. If he continues down that road, it dead ends into the water,” Sullivan recalled.
After years and more than 400 searches, they decided to check one more spot — and this time, their sonar revealed something different.
“It’s over three years looking for Steven MacKrell. It’s finally over. We found him,” Sullivan said as they found MacKrell.
The Boca Raton Police Dive Team responded and pulled the 2013 Ford Fusion from the pond. The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed that the remains inside were indeed MacKrell’s.
For Sullivan and his team, the discovery brought a sense of relief.
“We’re just happy that we can provide them with these answers, and they no longer have to wonder, you know, what happened to the son, the brother and family member and friend,” said Sullivan.
While the recovery provides long-awaited closure for MacKrell’s family, the case isn’t officially closed.
Investigators with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department are still asking anyone with information about that night in 2015 to come forward.
If you have any information, contact Fort Lauderdale Police or submit an anonymous tip to Broward Crime Stoppers at 800-458-TIPS.
