Robert Heikka first made headlines back in 2020 after the Florida teacher failed to show up to work and his co-workers reported him missing the next day. A new development in the case has sparked up conversations again after a deceased victim in a submerged car in Pioneer Trail Canal was found. Could Robert Heikka be the deceased victim? Here is what we know so far according to official reports.
The submerged car in a canal along Pioneer Trail belongs to Florida teacher Robert Heikka
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office publicly reported about finding a submerged car in a car along Pioneer Trails. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the car, a white 2012 Chevrolet Impala, belongs to Robert Heikka.
https://www.facebook.com/VolusiaSheriff/posts/pfbid0pZETRrSX6KASoiTDkhyghdz8vZc1MMK13HGncvbPHSdF2Vb21KwQtyUwLWh9nAiDl
They also shared other details about their discovery. The details include that there was a deceased occupant inside the car. According to the official Facebook post from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, they found the car in “a body of water in the area of 4290 Pioneer Trail”. With the help of Sunshine State Sonar Search Team and Recon Dive Recovery, they were able to retrieve the car.
However, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office were unable to positively ID the deceased victim at the time of the announcement. Nonetheless, they informed the public that Robert Heikka’s family were informed about the discovery. The Port Orange Police Department also marked Heikka’s missing person case as solved.
READ MORE: All things wrong with Kanye West’s Donda Academy: Lawsuit controversy explained
Who is Robert Heikka?
Robert Heikka was a middle school teacher at Creekside Middle School in Florida. On October 25, 2020, local authorities received a report that he was missing. The same car submerged in the Pioneer Trail canal belonged to Heikka. It was also the car he was last seen driving before he went missing.
After deciding to check on Heikka when he failed to show up the next day, no one answered the door. Because of that, they decided to contact the police and file a missing person report. From then on, a lot of authorities became involved with the search.
His phone was last tracked on the day he was missing between the Interstate 4 and State Road 44. Unfortunately, they were unable to find more leads on the Florida teacher’s whereabouts.
Authorities found a small canal along Pioneer Trail where they finally found the submerged car
After the case was presumed to have gone cold, authorities decided to team up on the two-year anniversary of Robert Heikka’s disappearance. They failed to spot the small canal along Pioneer Trail during their first sweep. Luckily, they were able to explore the tiny body of water despite the area being covered by trees and overgrown brushes.
The vehicle belonging to missing Port Orange teacher Robert Heikka has been found in a body of water in the area of 4290 Pioneer Trail, between SR 44 and 415. The VSO Dive Team is in the process of recovering the vehicle now. Please stand by for updates.
— Volusia Sheriff (@VolusiaSheriff) April 8, 2023
Fast forward five months later and the search team returned with the proper equipment. After the water level in the canal significantly dropped, they had the opportunity to explore it from end to end. Heikka’s car was found sitting upright, its exposed roof giving its location away to the search team.
After confirming that the license plate on the submerged car belonged to Robert Heikka, Recon Dive Recovery then contacted the Port Orange Police Department.
READ MORE: 14th Dalai Lama apologizes after asking Indian Boy to suck his tongue – Controversy Explained
Port Orange Police Department marks the case as solved
Sunshine State Sonar Search Team also released their official statement on their Facebook page. In the post, they detailed how they were able to execute the challenging search for the missing Florida teacher.
https://www.facebook.com/popdpolice/posts/pfbid02b2fbtfXSFga2PmQeYRz3TgJo9XUZVradf6hVPz2wtnqFx8FtaFmqUMkVDgNM6hD8l?__cft__[0]=AZW7NY4N_yXFOSrK3qvdzTpAtn9c6jfTqS4NTBPUx8-6D7PRJuk8gQxhZ7c07si2imEk9MWvedyEYE6dbdA2FYMWk1wpXYl_Lo2_oM_22XjlbHya9z5_vMR6GAKWYSPhYPtmqtqJWblspC135gP7oLU0P6SmoZtdHMLNXwcBesdETDxEinFd9A2CLzX6rkYOmLqD4ioWXDFcukMhQhkz6DoX&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
The Port Orange PD shared the lengthy post from the search team and thanked them for their efforts. Based on what the post indicates, it seems that Robert Heikka was indeed the deceased victim they found inside the submerged car. They thanked the search team in the post and sent their thoughts and prayers to the Heikka family.
READ MORE: Did Anheuser-Busch fire its marketing team for the Bud Light x Dylan Mulvaney campaign controversy?
Our thoughts and prayers also go out to Robert Heikka’s family and friends. If you have other questions or thoughts about this case, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
