PUNTA GORDA — Authorities confirmed Monday that skeletal remains found in a car submerged in a Punta Gorda canal earlier this month were those of a 64-year-old woman who disappeared nearly 20 years ago.

A dental comparison conducted by the Charlotte County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the identity of Frances Hendrickson, who was last seen driving her light-blue Buick station wagon on June 30, 1993, according to the Punta Gorda Police Department.

Authorities recovered the vehicle from a Punta Gorda canal near Whippoorwill Boulevard and Eider Street on Jan. 17, after locating it underwater using advanced sonar technology. The car was found 18 feet underwater and buried four feet in the canal bed, authorities said.