By By JAN GRIFFEY / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Dowagiac fishermen Larry Bjork and Jeff Ward were trolling for walleye in the St. Joseph River in Niles Monday afternoon when they spotted something unusual in the water below them.
Their discovery may have solved the mystery behind the 15-year-old case of a missing man.
When workers from Clark's Service in Niles pulled the car from the river onto the bank near the Marmont Street boat dock late Monday afternoon, police found a body inside.
Niles City Police Capt. Jim Merriman, one of the first to arrive on the scene after city police received the call about the car in the river just before 4 p.m., recognized the vehicle immediately.
Even before the car was located in the river by Niles firefighters, Merriman wondered if it would be that of the case the unsolved Niles disappearance.
Thomas Burns of Stevensville, 28 at the time, was reported missing March 26, 1989, by his family. He had not been seen after getting off work at the former Look N Glass Lounge on Second Street in Niles.
Police have not positively identified the body in the vehicle. It will be removed to the State Police Crime Lab in Grand Rapids for identification.
However, Niles City Police Chief Ric Huff said clothing description on the surprisingly-well preserved body matches that given by his family at the time of the disappearance.
Merriman said the discovery of the car may mean Burns is no longer missing, but it doesn't solve the case.
Even after 15 years submerged in the St. Joseph River, the Renault descriptive "Le Car" detailing, was visible on both sides of the vehicle.
The river Monday afternoon was exceptionally clear.
Bjork and Ward put their boat in at the dock behind the old city police station and cruised all the way down past the Marmont Street boat dock, where, about 100 yards north, they spotted the car.
The two called the city police department's non-emergency phone number just before 4 p.m. and reported their discovery.
Niles City's Fire Department's River Rescue Unit immediately launched their vehicles and began looking for the car, which was located at about 5 p.m. Monday.
Clark's Service was able to remove the car from the river and onto the bank about an hour and a half later.
Niles City Police roped off the area around the vehicle and crime scene investigators and detectives began their investigation.