A mystery that had haunted an Arkansas family for over two decades has finally been solved. Investigators have found human remains inside the car of Samantha Jean Hopper, a mother who disappeared 23 years ago along with her child.
It was a heartbreaking discovery made by Adventures With Purpose, a charity dedicated to solving cold cases across the country. On Tuesday, the team located Hopper’s car submerged in eight feet of water. According to a statement from the Pope County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle was a blue Ford Tempo—the same car Samantha had been driving when she and her daughter, Courtney Holt, vanished in 1998.
Samantha Hopper had been last seen on September 11, 1998. She was reportedly on her way to drop off her two-year-old daughter, Courtney, at a family member’s house before heading to Little Rock for a performance. But after that day, neither she nor her child was ever seen again. Despite efforts to find them, there were no leads—until now.
For years, the family had been left in the dark, with no answers and no closure. But when Adventures With Purpose took on the case, they searched waters that hadn’t been explored before. Finally, they found the car, lying eight feet below the surface, with human remains inside.
The remains will now be taken to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock for DNA testing to confirm their identities, officials said. “This is a huge step forward,” said a representative from the sheriff’s office.
In a heartfelt statement, the Pope County Sheriff’s Office said, “We are grateful to have played a small part in helping to bring this 23-year-old case to closure and would like to send our sincere condolences to the family of Samantha Hopper and Courtney Holt.”
For Samantha’s surviving daughter, Dezarea, the discovery, while difficult, has brought some measure of peace. In a moving message shared on a memorial page, she revealed a startling detail: her mother had been nine months pregnant at the time of her disappearance.
“She was pregnant when she vanished,” Dezarea wrote, adding that her sister Courtney had only been two years old. After years of uncertainty, Dezarea called the discovery of their bodies a “relief,” even though it came with a heavy heart.
The search for answers may have finally come to an end, but the emotional journey for the family continues. As they reflect on the lives lost too soon, there is now a chance for healing.
What are your thoughts on this tragic discovery? How would you feel after waiting 23 years for answers? Share your thoughts in the comments.
