15 Years in the Dark Abyss: How a White PT Cruiser Solved Long Island’s Most Enduring Missing Person Mystery

Long Island, New York – For nearly fifteen agonizing years, the disappearance of Robert J.

Long had remained a pervasive, chilling mystery, the kind of case that haunts a community long after the headlines fade.

The 62-year-old Miller Place man vanished on the afternoon of December 21, 2010, after a routine trip to a local liquor store.

He left his home on Hillsdale Avenue, drove his distinctive off-white 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser, purchased a bottle of liquor at the Miller Place Wine & Liquor Store on Route 25A, and then seemingly dissolved into the holiday season air.

His disappearance, especially the total vanishing of his vehicle, defied all initial search efforts by the Suffolk County Police Department.

The case remained cold, a heartbreaking file for the Suffolk County Police Department, despite the tireless efforts of Long’s family, who maintained a presence in the community, often posting flyers near Mount Sinai Harbor, a place the missing man loved.

His wife, Joanne Long, and their extended family endured an agonizing decade-and-a-half, clinging to the hope of finding answers.

The breakthrough, which brought a shockwave of sorrow and relief, did not come from a conventional law enforcement tip, but from the dedicated, technology-driven efforts of independent volunteer organizations.

On Monday, June 30, 2025, two non-profit dive teams—Exploring With a Mission and the renowned Adventures With Purpose—arrived in Suffolk County to apply their unique sonar and diving expertise to several cold cases, with Robert Long’s at the top of their list.

The team, including expert sonar operator Bill McIntosh and diver “Diver Dan”, zeroed in on the Cedar Beach boat ramp at Mount Sinai Harbor.

This location was not chosen by chance; it was based on probability mapping and the repeated insistence from the Long family that Robert often visited the harbor to feed the seagulls.

Using state-of-the-art side-scan sonar equipment, McIntosh’s careful sweeps of the murky water quickly yielded a highly anomalous reading.

“I knew immediately.

I knew in two minutes that I had it,” McIntosh recounted of the moment the sonar image flashed on his screen—a faint, but unmistakably vehicle-shaped object, precisely what they were searching for.

The object was located approximately 55 yards (150 feet) offshore and submerged 19 feet below the high tide surface.

The dive team prepared for descent.

Diver Dan entered the frigid, dark water to confirm the visual.

What he found was the very car that had been missing for 15 years: a white PT Cruiser now heavily encrusted with silt, shells, and marine growth.

Crucially, upon inspecting the interior through the open front windows, the diver confirmed the devastating, yet definitive, presence of human remains.

“I reached in and grabbed a handful of bones, and brought one up to the surface,” Diver Dan later stated to news outlets, detailing the grim reality of the submerged scene.

The Suffolk County Police Department was immediately notified.

The discovery triggered a massive response from the SCPD Marine Bureau and Homicide Squad, turning the usually quiet waterfront into a flurry of official activity.

The recovery itself was a delicate operation.

Due to the PT Cruiser’s fragile state after over a decade and a half of submersion in saltwater, investigators ruled out a simple tow.

A local barge company volunteered their services, providing a massive crane for a careful, controlled lift recovery.

Working in collaboration with the police dive team, the vehicle was secured with heavy-duty lift straps, slowly freed from the harbor’s thick mud and silt, and finally hoisted onto a flatbed tow truck on the shore, where it was immediately covered for forensic preservation.

In the ensuing days, the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office worked to officially confirm the identity.

On July 15, 2025, police confirmed that the skeletal remains, identified through forensic testing, belonged to Robert Long.

While the official cause of death has yet to be released, detectives indicated that the discovery does not appear to be criminal in nature, strongly suggesting the tragic end was an accidental drive into the water.

The resolution, though painful, brought a measure of peace to the Long family.

Robert Long’s remains were finally brought home from the silent, watery tomb where he had rested, undetected, for so long.

The case highlights the immense, often overlooked difficulty of searching local waterways and demonstrates the profound impact that dedicated volunteers, armed with modern technology, can have in solving cold cases and granting closure to families haunted by the sudden, inexplicable absence of a loved one.

The family’s brief, powerful statement echoed the sentiment of a community that finally had an answer: “This gives us peace, finally.

” The mystery of Robert Long’s disappearance may be over, but the story of how an ordinary man’s last drive ended in an underwater silence, only to be broken by a dedicated group of strangers 15 years later, will forever stand as a testament to the enduring human need for resolution.