Remains of Woman and Young Daughter Found After Going Missing 20 Years Ago

The vehicle of a mother and daughter who went missing more than 20 years ago has finally been found in Arkansas. The car, found submerged in water in Pope County earlier this week, is believed to belong to Samantha Jean Hopper, who was reported missing on September 11, 1998.

Hopper, who was also pregnant at the time, went missing with her daughter Courtney Holt, who was a toddler at the time. The case eventually went cold. 

Human remains were found inside the blue Ford Tempo, according to the Pope County Sheriff’s Office.

The discovery was made by a nonprofit group called Adventures With Purpose, which travels the U.S. working on cold cases, the office said. The remains found in the vehicle will be tested by the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock for DNA.

“The Pope County Sheriff’s Office would like to send our sincere condolences to the family of Samantha Hopper and Courtney Holt, and we are thankful to have been a small part of helping bring this 23-year-old case to closure,” the department said in a statement.

“Sheriff Jones would also like to thank all who were involved in the recovery. Adventures With Purpose, Elmo’s Crane Service, and Battlecross Towing; and Investigator Erick Riggs for the countless hours spent following leads in the case," the statement also said.

Related Stories