POPE COUNTY, Ark – Deputies in Pope County say a vehicle matching the description of one tied to a 23-year-old missing persons cases has found Tuesday with human remains inside.
According to the Pope County Sheriff’s Office, the car, which matches one belonging to Samantha Jean Hopper, was found by the non-profit group Adventures With Purpose.
Deputies said they received a call around 12:30 p.m. from the group who said they had located a vehicle in the water near the 3700 block of Pleasant View Road.
After arriving on the scene, deputies said the investigators requested assistance from a towing company to remove the vehicle from the water, at which time they found human remains inside the car.
Hopper was reported missing on September 11, 1998. At the time she had been reported to be heading to drop off her daughter, Courtney Holt, before Hopper was set to head to a concert in Little Rock.
The remains are now being sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for analysis to see if they can be positively identified.
Pope County Sheriff Shane Jones expressed his condolences to the victim’s family and thanked those who provided help with the case.
“The Pope County Sheriff’s Office would like to send our sincere condolences to the family of Samantha Hopper and Courtney Holt, and we are thankful to have been a small part of helping bring this 23-year-old case to closure.”