IL IL - Clarence Owens, 65, Winnebago County, 20 Feb 1976

[TheArtfulDetective]

Clarence E. Owens



Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: February 20, 1976
Location Last Seen: Winnebago County near the Ogle County Line, Illinois
Missing From: Freeport, Stephenson County, Illinois

Description:

• Date of Birth: circa 1911
• Age: 65 years old
• Race: White/Caucasian
• Gender: Male
• Height: 5' 4" - 5' 7" (64 - 67 Inches)
• Weight: 185 - 190 lbs
• Hair Color: Gray
• Eye Color: Blue
• Nickname/Alias: Unknown
• Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
• Clothing & Personal Items: Business attire with a light over-coat
• Associated Vehicle: 1966 gold two-door Chevrolet Impala
• Identifiers: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance:
Owens and his business partner, Edward Hawley, were last seen at a farm auction near the Winnebago-Ogle County Line in Illinois on February 20, 1976. The men loved to visit auctions and always had cash on hand just in case they saw a good bargain.

Owens picked up Hawley in his newly gold painted 1966 Chevrolet Impala on the morning of February 20. Their first stop was the American Legion Hall in Pecatonica, Illinois to attend a political rally. After the rally, they walked to Rocky's Cafe, located across the street, for pie and coffee. The two men then went to visit Owens' son, who lived nearby. He wasn't home, but they talked to his wife for about 5 minutes, mentioning they had an appointment to go assess some farm property near German Valley.

On the way to their appointment, Hawley and Owens stopped for an auction at Borgman's farm on Pecatonica Road around 3:00 PM. This was the last verified sighting of the two men. They missed the scheduled appointment in German Valley and failed to arrive home that afternoon as planned. They have never been heard from again and were reported missing the following day.

Despite extensive searches with the aid of aerial surveillance, both Hawley, Owens, and the vehicle they were driving have never been located. Their whereabouts remain unknown.



Investigators:

• Stephenson County Sheriffs Office: (815) 235-8252
  Reference Case Number: M8643123

NCIC Case Number: Not available
NamUs Case Number: MP39284
NCMEC Number: Not available

1878DMIL - Clarence E. Owens
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[oceanverde]

I'm no good with cars so I can't tell if this could be them or not but there's a car that's been pulled from a river nearby (Pecatonica River)

Car in nearly 50-year-old cold case pulled from Pecatonica River

Investigators have a new lead into the disappearance of two northern Illinois men nearly 50 years ago.

www.wifr.com

 

[oceanverde]

Now the Sheriff has confirmed that it is the car, more details to come later.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=929689931884774

 

[oceanverde]

Human Remains have been recovered. Sounds like 2 separate sets of remains. One in the vehicle and one along the river bank.

Coroner: Human remains recovered from vehicle pulled from Pecatonica River

New details about the 1966 Chevrolet Impala pulled Monday from the Pecatonica River will be released Wednesday during a joint news conference.

www.wifr.com

 

[Tricia]

Discovery of human remains inside car leads to police reopening 47-year-old cold case

Illinois police say the vehicle is tied to a case involving Everett Hawley and Clarence Owens, who disappeared in 1976.

www.wqad.com

 

[dotr]

Theories swirling once again after vehicle found in 1976 Illinois cold case

Last week's discovery of a vehicle linked to the 1976 disappearance of two Rockford area men has brought decades old speculation back to light.

www.rrstar.com

March 18 2024 rbbm
''The Winnebago County Coroner's Office is currently analyzing the skeletal remains found in the car to determine whether they belong to Owens and Hawley. Although it may be difficult, if not impossible, to determine forensically if the victims drowned, signs of injury on the bones could shed light on how they died and how the car wound up in the river, including the possibility that it was an accident.
Those who know Pecatonica say if the Impala slid off an icy road into the river close to where it was found on March 11, it would have left tire tracks and potential debris, indicating that a crash had occurred. Because no such evidence has ever been found, some people aren't buying it.''

"I can't imagine it," Herbig said. "Because (Owens and Hawley) knew the town very well. They wouldn't have driven in there."

''A member of the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office who was a diver even searched Lake Summerset north of Durand. He also searched the area with a metal detector but found nothing.
"The chances of them just sliding into the river and drowning — I don't know," Stedman said. "To me it feels like they were murdered. My gut has told me that from the beginning."