Body of man missing for months found 2 miles from his abandoned car, Nebraska cops say

The body of a man who vanished after a routine traffic stop was found more than three months after he disappeared, Nebraska authorities say.

The Platte County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy pulled over Jake Clark, 37, on Dec. 17 due to him not having a license plate on his vehicle. The deputy allowed Clark to drive on after the stop.

A day later, Clark’s vehicle was found abandoned in a lane of traffic on a rural Platte County road, according to the sheriff. His location was unknown.

“The vehicle was found running, headlights on, interior dome lights on, trunk open and driver’s side window broken out,” the sheriff said. “A duffel bag believed to belong to Clark was located on the roadway 100 yards from the vehicle.”

Clark was reported missing and an attempt to locate was issued for him on Jan. 4.

On Tuesday, April 2, authorities found “possible human remains” about 2 miles southeast from where Clark’s vehicle was discovered, the sheriff’s office

The body is believed to be Clark’s, authorities said. A cause of death was not disclosed.

The sheriff’s office had previously searched the area “by vehicle, foot and drone” but did not discover the body until Tuesday.

The incident remains under investigation.

Platte County is about a 110-mile drive northwest of Omaha.

This story was originally published April 4, 2024 at 9:06 AM with the headline "Body of man missing for months found 2 miles from his abandoned car, Nebraska cops say."