SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) -- Nearly five months after a woman was last seen, Shelbyville authorities announced her vehicle was found underwater with a body inside.

According to the Shelbyville Police Department, 84-year-old Sara Padgett was last seen by friends on April 4 and reported missing on April 10. However, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation -- which issued a Silver Alert for Padgett on April 11 -- said the 83-year-old was last seen in Shelbyville on April 2.

At the time, officials said Padgett may have been driving a blue Nissan Sentra.

Several months later, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, the Shelbyville Police Department said its Digital Forensic Unit directed a "nonprofit sonar and dive search-and-recovery group," United Search Corps, to the Normandy Lake area to search the location of Padgett's last known cell phone ping.

Law enforcement said Doug Bishop with United Search Corps discovered Padgett's submerged car, which was brought to the TBI for further examination. In addition, personnel recovered a body inside the vehicle and transported the body to the Medical Examiner's Office for positive identification.

Then, on Thursday, Aug. 28, the TBI announced Padgett had been found dead in Coffee County, saying, "Our thoughts are with her family and friends."

"The Shelbyville City Police Department extends its sincere gratitude to Doug Bishop and United Search Corps, a nonprofit organization based in Oregon, for their invaluable assistance in this recovery," the department wrote on Facebook. "We encourage the public to learn more about their mission and support their efforts to aid law enforcement and families across the nation in recovering missing loved ones from waterways."

Police also thanked the TBI, the Coffee County Sheriff's Department, the Coffee County Rescue Squad, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and the Tennessee Valley Authority Police for their help with search and recovery efforts.

No additional details have been released about this case.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/tbi-missing-woman-found-dead-in-coffee-county/