Erin Leigh Foster | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 28, 1982 |
| Died | April 3, 2000 (aged 18) |
| Education | White County High School |
| Known for | Remains discovered after missing for 21 years |
Jeremy Lee Bechtel | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 7, 1982 |
| Died | April 3, 2000 (aged 17) Sparta, Tennessee |
| Education | White County High School |
| Known for | Remains discovered after missing for 21 years |
Erin Foster and Jeremy Bechtel were two American teenagers from Sparta, Tennessee, who disappeared in April 2000. Their bodies were found in Foster's vehicle in 2021 by Jeremy Sides, a volunteer civilian cold-case investigator and YouTuber.
Erin Foster and Jeremy Bechtel were residents of Sparta, Tennessee.[1] Bechtel spoke to his father Ronnie Bechtel by telephone on the evening of April 3, 2000. Foster was seen by her brother Will the same evening.[2]
Foster and Bechtel attended a party that night but returned to Foster's parents' home before leaving again.[2][3] Both teenagers were probably last seen around 10:00 p.m. in Foster's black Pontiac Grand Am.[4] Foster was 18 at the time of her disappearance, while Bechtel was 17.[5]
No one saw them alive after the evening of April 3, 2000, prompting rumors and speculation of their whereabouts including false reports of sightings.[2] Searches were undertaken locally, and also in Pensacola, Florida, during 2005 and 2006 following reports that Foster was living and working there.[3][4]
On November 24, 2021, scuba diver Jeremy Sides searched a lake near the location of the party attended by the teenagers.[4] Sides found a submerged vehicle, but it was not Foster's Grand Am.[4] On November 30, using sonar technology, Sides found a vehicle located thirteen feet below the surface of the Calfkiller River, next to Highway 84,[1] before running out of daylight.[4] The following day, on December 1, 2021, Sides returned to the vehicle he had seen in the river and went diving to film the car.[4] The license plate was confirmed to be that of Foster's Grand Am.[4] He called White County Sheriff Steve Page to report his discovery and to confirm that it was Foster's car with two human remains found inside.[2][3] The remains were later confirmed to be Foster and Bechtel, found in the vehicle after missing for 21 years.[1][2][6][7]
Police have theorized that Foster lost control of her vehicle while driving on Highway 84, which did not have a guardrail along that section in 2000.[2] As of July 2022, the police investigation was not closed, but police indicated there was no evidence of foul play.[5][3]
Both Foster and Bechtel were buried in 2022.[3]